Late "Knight" thoughts about... the end of the season

Vegas Golden Knights fans have grown accustomed to having their own traditions and norms throughout the NHL season. Carnell Johnson belting out a beautiful serenade of the National Anthem, the Vegas Drum Line playing before and during the game, and flamingoes littering the T-Mobile Arena ice after every victory. These small moments make being a Golden Knights fan a privilege, especially with excellent personnel like Kelly McCrimmon and Bruce Cassidy.

Major League Baseball has similar traditions, with October baseball gracing the presence of numerous fans. They come to see magical moments, such as a no-hitter, a walk-off homer, or even a game-ending strikeout. It's proof that it's an amazing experience being a sports fan, for the little things make it even better.

But there's more to being a sports fan than watching your team win. It's the sheer excitement of knowing your franchise is in the running for a championship. That's especially true if you're in the first season of your history, where you're shocking the world. When you've dealt with adversity in the form of a tragic community event, it unites everyone. That's what the Golden Knights experienced when nobody expected an expansion team to make the Stanley Cup Final.

Looking back at the 2017 Stanley Cup Final run for the Vegas Golden Knights

Before Bruce Cassidy and Kelly McCrimmon engineered a Stanley Cup-winning team for the city of Las Vegas, the Vegas Golden Knights entered the NHL with a ragtag team of "Misfits". Sure, there were names like Marc-Andre Fleury who were recognized for their achievements. However, nobody knew who Reilly Smith or William Karlsson were. Jonathan Marchessault was a good player. But he didn't stand out before his Conn Smythe run.

Then, tragedy struck on October 1, 2017. 64-year-old Stephen Paddock opened fire on attendees at the Route 91 music festival on the Las Vegas Strip. The aftermath was 60 deaths and 413 people wounded. It shook the Las Vegas community to its core and there wasn't much to help them heal. That's where the Golden Knights came in.

Behind surprising campaigns by Karlsson (43 goals, 78 points) and Marchessault (27 goals, 75 points), Vegas won the Pacific Division. They ran to a record of 51-24-7 (109 points) and took care of the Los Angeles Kings by sweeping them in the first round. Then, they took care of the San Jose Sharks, 4-2, before ending the Winnipeg Jets in five games. The hockey world was in awe as the Golden Knights had their on-ice version of "October Magic," only it happened in the spring.

The world finally paid attention to the Golden Knights

Although the Vegas Golden Knights fell to the Washington Capitals, 4-1, they put themselves in the forefront of the hockey world. Nobody could believe what they were seeing. An expansion team making the championship round? Nobody expected this, yet here we were. It's amazing what sports can do for a reeling community, especially when it comes to hockey.

Despite falling short in 2017-18, the Golden Knights got Kelly McCrimmon on board. He set up the team with successful moves, such as acquiring Jack Eichel and Mark Stone, making the team competitive. Of course, the cherry on top was Bruce Cassidy, who instilled a sense of maturity and commitment in Golden Knights hockey.

The team finished its story, with the Stanley Cup healing the community. The power sports have over a city knows no bounds, especially when tragedy strikes. The Golden Knights galvanized themselves as a staple of the Las Vegas community, hitting a home run with the populace. It'll be a tough task for teams like the Raiders and Athletics to measure up to, especially when your team is competitive out of the gate.