Vegas, Carolina Bring a Heavyweight Final Nearly a Decade Late

Vegas and Carolina are meeting in a Stanley Cup Final that feels like it was built the hard way, with both clubs leaning on size, pace, and a tolerance for pain that separates contenders from the rest. The matchup carries the kind of long-game tension front offices live for, because this kind of stage usually rewards the teams that have been circling it for years rather than the ones who just got hot.