Air VGK touched down just after midnight Pacific Time and had already discharged a big chunk of the baggage the passengers had boarded with less than three hours prior.
The 50 or so Golden Knights players, coaches and staffers had boarded with a heavy mental load following a 3-2 OT loss to the Dallas Stars on Thursday night. They deplaned Friday to see the lights of Las Vegas and with opportunity anew stretched out before them.
A new day had dawned. The page had been flipped. Game 5 of the Western Conference Final was on the horizon and a clinching scenario remained only in the hands of the Golden Knights.
Disappointment gave way to anticipation. There would be hockey on the Strip on Saturday night. And a chance to take another step on a Stanley Cup journey.
Standing on the tarmac in Dallas, one VGK staffer said to another, "It's all perspective. We got a split. If we'd lost Game 3 and won Game 4, we'd be heading back to Vegas with a chance to close out the series and we'd all be smiling right now instead of hanging our heads."
Opportunity missed? Certainly. But it's a conference final and the Stars, Knights and already Cup final bound Florida Panthers are the best three teams in hockey at this point. Easy isn't in the equation.
Perspective is everything in these situations.
The Golden Knights will spend Friday taking care of their bodies and resting their minds. And reminding themselves they hold a 3-1 lead in a first-to-four series.
For the Stars, their perspective has also changed. They've won a game. They have seen their own formula for success. Bounces went their way. The task prior to Game 4 was to beat the Golden Knights four games in a row. For Dallas, it's now down to needing just three straight.
Vegas, despite the loss, still just needs one more win. The Golden Knights are now 11-4 in the postseason and have won five of their last six games. Along the way, they've uncovered a lot about themselves.
The Golden Knights are the embodiment of "team." They're at their best when everyone is involved and they adopt a singular approach. They can get a bit uneven at times. Head coach Bruce Cassidy says they're "imperfect." But when they get together and hit their high notes, so far no one has come close to stopping them. That type of effort is what they'll be looking for in Game 5 of the WCF. They got in Game 5 of the first round as they ousted the Winnipeg Jets. And there it was again in Game 6 of the second round as they bounced the Edmonton Oilers.
The Stars now have some budding confidence. They'll be looking to build on it. All they have in their minds right now is to get the series back to Dallas. To force a Game 6.
The Golden Knights are not in a do or die situation. Regardless of Game 5's outcome - they'll play another game next week. They won't focus on result at this juncture. It will all be about process. They need to play their game. Get to it early and stay with it for a long stretch.
Some folks count the way to the Stanley Cup in terms of how many wins are still needed in order to get to 16. Some will say Vegas needs five more victories. Cassidy does it his own way. He has Vegas at 11 wins now and searching for No. 12. He builds towards 16.
And that's where we're at right now. Dallas is looking for win No. 10. Vegas is after No. 12.
Dallas is living on hope. Vegas is searching for its finishing game. And Florida watches and waits to see who its opponent will be in the Stanley Cup Final.
Twenty-nine other teams have been dispatched. They'd kill to be on the ice Saturday night. Six years ago the Vegas Golden Knights became a hockey team. Their journey has been remarkable. Saturday is another moment in an already memorable history.
