Golden Knights vs. Capitals: Game 1 Prediction
The unlikeliest Stanley Cup Finals imaginable is upon us with the Vegas Golden Knights facing the Washington Capitals, but who can draw first blood with a win in Game 1?
What a postseason it has been so far, and now it all comes down to one final series to determine the 2017-2018 Stanley Cup champion. The Vegas Golden Knights in their inaugural season are facing the notoriously cursed Washington Capitals in the Stanley Cup Finals. Just like we all predicted when the season started.
Vegas was predicted to be nothing short of absolute garbage when the season began, and they’ve defied all expectations from day one. They took first place in the Pacific division in December and just never looked back. They didn’t just make the playoffs in year one, they won the division and came into the postseason as legitimate cup contenders, but even then it wasn’t enough. Many predicted that the Los Angeles Kings would end the hype in the first round, and the Golden Knights swept them. The San Jose Sharks were supposed to be too deep overall for Vegas to handle, and the Knights took them down in six. The Jets were too skilled and too dangerous for Vegas to deal with, and the Knights destroyed them in five games. Just keep doubting Vegas, they love it.
This team lives and dies with goaltender Marc Andre Fleury. His play has stolen games for Vegas they had no business winning, and has posted an incredible .947 save percentage in fifteen playoff games. Along with Fleury, the top line of Marchessault-Karlsson-Smith has been superb and combined for 47 points this postseason. If Vegas wants to cap off this run, everybody needs to keep up their torrent paces.
When the season started, things looked impossibly grim for the Capitals. They had lost in the second round again to the Penguins, and had lost an immense amount of talent in the offseason. October up to mid November was the low point for this team, and got one final wakeup call in a 6-2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche. The team came together and rallied to bounce right back into the race. In late December they re-took the Metro division lead and never relinquished it.
They won the division for the third straight year, but when the playoff rolled around they suddenly found themselves down 2-0 to the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round and all looked grim once again. They won four straight to take the series, but were matched up with the Pittsburgh Penguins once again. Washington took control of the series and never let go, finishing off their arch rivals to end the DC curse in six games. They were rewarded with a matchup with the powerhouse Tampa Bay Lightning, who for sure would end this fun little story. The Capitals took a seven game series with two straight shutouts from Braden Holtby.
This team bonded together like never before this offseason, and that’s been the difference more than anything else. Of course, having the greatest goal scorer of this generation in Alex Ovechkin continue to dominate has helped as well. But finally it isn’t just him doing the heavy lifting, and all four lines and three defensive pairings have been carrying their own weight. Holtby has bounced back in a serious way after losing his starting job, and has bailed the Capitals out when they’ve needed him most.
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This has the makings of a through and through barnburner of a game. The Capitals and Golden Knights are even in terms of motivation, and both goalies can steal the show. Vegas has lost just one home game this whole post season, but they might need a game to really adjust to how the Capitals play before they can impose their will on them, and the Capitals have to steal a game in Vegas to take this series. Both teams trade goals for three periods and require extra time, and Chandler Stephenson becomes an unlikely hero to give the Capitals a 1-0 lead in the series.
Game 1 Prediction: Capitals defeat Golden Knights 4-3 in Overtime