The Vegas Golden Knights have talked all season about their veteran leadership and winning culture. Now, trailing 3-2 in the Stanley Cup Final against the Carolina Hurricanes, they must prove those intangibles matter most.

Game 6 on Sunday at T-Mobile Arena is an elimination game for the Knights, who have leaned on experience to navigate past adversity. Defenseman Jeremy Lauzon noted the calming presence of Cup winners in the locker room. “It’s like an energy of those guys who have been here,” Lauzon said. “They make plays that change games and boost the confidence of the group.”

Forward Reilly Smith echoed that sentiment, saying there has been no panic despite the series deficit. “There hasn’t been a sense of panic this entire season,” Smith said. “There probably would have been in other locker rooms when you’re playing catch-up in a lot of games or losing a lot of games in a row. But there has never been a sense of panic and there isn’t now.”

The Knights must also tighten their discipline after Carolina won the special teams battle through five games. Lauzon warned that overthinking leads to mistakes, urging his team to play on instinct. “You usually make more mistakes when you’re not being aggressive, when you’re thinking too much,” he said.

Forward Ivan Barbashev added that the group’s confidence remains high, fueled by experience. “We have experience, a group that is older than most teams,” Barbashev said. “We’ve done this all season long. Just stay with it.”

The room has been the foundation of the Knights’ identity all year. Now it must carry them through the most critical game of the season.