It’s been a pretty easy ride for Vegas. The Golden Knights are one win away from winning their first Stanley Cup. They can wrap it up tomorrow night at the Fortess against the Panthers.

Unlike recent years, the Knights flew under the radar entering the playoffs. They won the Pacific Division. Despite finishing atop the Western Conference with 111 points to clinch the top seed, most including yours truly didn’t think they would come out of the West.

The Oilers were the trendy pick led by the explosive duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl. But when the teams met in the second round, the Knights were the superior team. After dismissing Winnipeg in five, they eliminated Edmonton in six.

Then, they went up against the Stars. I thought it could’ve been a better series. But perhaps Dallas being forced to go the distance in the first two rounds hurt their chances. It did go six, but when push came to shove, the Knights easily ousted Dallas in enemy territory to reach the Stanley Cup Finals for the second time in franchise history.

Facing the upstart Panthers, who became just the second eight seed to make the Stanley Cup Finals by stunning the Bruins and defeating the Maple Leafs and Hurricanes, it’s been the steady play of the Golden Knights that has them up three games to one. They’ve led most of the way in all four games, including Game 3, when a late Matthew Tkachuk goal led to Carter Verhaeghe overtime winner.

In Game 4, Vegas got the jump on the Panthers by scoring early. Thanks to a pair of Chandler Stephenson goals, they eventually took a three-goal lead. But on a fluky bounce off two different skates, the Panthers got some life to make it 3-1 before the second period expired. An Aleksander Barkov goal in an intense third period pulled Florida within one with plenty of time left.

Although they mostly sat back by clogging up the neutral zone and relying on a strong defense anchored by Alex Pietrangelo, the Knights had one strong shift where they had the Panthers pinned in for nearly a minute. Radko Gudas made a big mistake in the neutral zone by going for a big hit. Instead of going for the puck, he missed completely, allowing the Knights to kill some time in the Cats’ zone. Gudas also had a giveaway during that long shift. But Sergei Bobrovsky was able to freeze the puck to get a line change.

In crunch time, the Panthers were able to lift Bobrovsky for the extra attacker with over two minutes remaining. They came close once to tying it. But Adin Hill made a big pad save. The virtual unknown who once was a Shark has made timely saves when his team has needed it. Since taking over for the injured Laurent Brossoit, he’s been strong in goal. Whoever would’ve believed Hill could take over and have Vegas in position for their first Cup?

Although the Knights hung on to win on Saturday night, there was a missed call on Brayden McNabb that saw him deliver a cross-check to the back of Tkachuk, who went down. The refs blew the play dead. But after Tkachuk went back at McNabb, there was nothing called. That puzzled Paul Maurice on the Florida bench. Had they called it, his team would’ve had a six-on-four with 1:26 left.

Instead, a Pietrangelo delay of game with only 17.4 seconds left gave the Panthers a six-on-four a little too late. They fiddled around after winning the key offensive draw. That was a big mistake. Especially the way the Golden Knights blocked shots. For the game, they blocked 30. That mindset has them within a grasp of the Cup. Eventually, the Panthers forced Hill to make one save. Then, a centering feed for Tkachuk in front saw him get off a dangerous shot with 0.1 seconds to go. Hill made the save. It wouldn’t have counted. But he was there.

Of course, chaos ensued once the final buzzer sounded. With Tkachuk and Brandon Montour battling in front, there was a big scrum. Tkachuk gave Pietrangelo a chop after the game ended. Hill went after Sam Reinhart. The ever entertaining goalie who won’t tolerate anything made it fun to watch. Montour charged McNabb. Penalties were handed out. It was all bookkeeping.

Maybe if they hadn’t fallen behind by three goals on home ice, the Panthers might be all even entering Game 5 tomorrow. Instead, it’s do or die. A tough situation to be in. Especially with how well Vegas played at home to take the first two games of the series.

For the Golden Knights, Jack Eichel has gotten most of the kudos. He’s delivered in his first postseason with 23 points (6-17-23). He did some of his best work against the Oilers by playing two-way hockey. However, it’s been the play of mainstays Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson that has Vegas ready to celebrate. Marchessault leads the postseason with 13 goals. His 24 points are tied for the most with Tkachuk and Roope Hintz. He’s a plus-16 with three game-winners during the run. He is likely the Conn Smythe favorite.

Karlsson remains a good overall player who makes things happen. Even though he’s never been able to match the incredible 43 goals and 78 points he hit in the inaugural season as a Golden Knight, Wild Bill plays both sides of the puck. He excels in all situations, including the penalty kill. His speed and skating continue to be on display. It was his 11th goal of the playoffs that proved to be the winner the other night. Very quietly, Karlsson has 16 points with a plus-9 rating. He gets it done.

What makes Vegas tough is their balance. Captain Mark Stone has been strong, producing eight goals and 13 assists for 21 points. Key deadline pickup Ivan Barbashev has added 17 points (4-13-17) along with edge when it’s been needed. He’s also a plus-13. Barbashev is unrestricted this summer.

Stephenson remains a productive player. He has 10 goals and 9 assists for 19 points in the playoffs. Even role players such as Brett Howden, Nicolas Roy, and Michael Amadio have contributed. Maybe the biggest play of the series was when Keegan Kolesar delivered a clean hit to Tkachuk, who clearly is playing banged up. Kolesar is a checking player who brings energy. The same as Howden, who has been used by coach Bruce Cassidy on the third line.

With a strong blue line led by Pietrangelo and Shea Theodore, the Knights don’t have many weaknesses. They’re tough to play against at five-on-five. That’s why they’re a win away from making history.