Oveckin’s passion shines in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final: 3 takeaways

The Washington Capitals snatched a massive victory from the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Here are 3 things we learned.

On Saturday night, the Washington Capitals defeated the Vegas Golden Knights by a final score of 3-1 in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. Strong performances from the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Jay Beagle and Devante Smith-Pelly led the Capitals to victory.

The matchup picked up right where the previous game left off. After an early goal from Smith-Pelly was disallowed on the basis of goaltender interference, Washington kept the intensity going, denying Vegas space and capitalizing on opportunities.

Here are three things we learned from the exciting contest.

This Stanley Cup Final has been fantastic for hockey

For some, it’s nothing short of a joke. A team that has been written off for the better part of a year is playing against an organization that didn’t even have a roster under 365 days ago for the most important trophy in hockey.

But by that same token, when have we ever seen anything like this?

Soccer fans will be quick to reference Leicester’s majestic Premier League title run back in 2015-16 as a counter-argument to statements of this variety. The club — regarded as middle-tier at best and lower-tier at worst — finished their season at the top of English football’s first division in what became a campaign for the ages.

Nevertheless, the magic of the 2017-18 Stanley Cup playoffs has been deeply multifaceted. A win for either team would be among the sport’s greatest ever Cinderella stories. A Vegas victory, in particular, would almost definitely form the basis of a Hollywood film.

Also fascinating — and somewhat underdiscussed — is the degree to which the series is garnering a sense of excitement outside of the sport itself. Celebrities have always been spotted at NHL games, but they’re especially pervasive in Vegas and Washington. Lil Jon, Criss Angel and Imagine Dragons got the Golden Knights’ fans pumped, while Sting and Shaggy took the stage in Washington.

https://twitter.com/GoldenKnights/status/1001229248688832512

Think about it. The winds of change are enveloping not only the game of hockey, but also the very culture surrounding the sport that we all love. And although not everyone likes to cheer for the underdog — let alone two of them — perhaps a radical shift in the fundamental dynamic of the Stanley Cup Final is exactly what the game needs to gather the attention that it has long aspired to.

Ovie isn’t doing this to prove himself to anyone

Love him or hate him, it’s tough to deny that Ovechkin is a man on a mission. Sometimes regarded as the soon-to-be “greatest player to never win a Cup,” the veteran winger has endured criticism from all walks of the hockey world.

During this particular Stanley Cup run, Ovechkin is proving his detractors wrong. With each passing shift, the Capitals captain is reminding critics of his undeniable ability to marry offensive prowess with defensive accountability. He’s now tallied 14 goals and 25 points throughout the postseason.

Perhaps what’s even more admirable about Ovechkin’s success is the passion that underlines his every move. No question that every player on the ice has dreamed of hoisting Lord Stanley’s trophy since boyhood, but it’s difficult to argue that anyone wants this more than hockey’s own Alexander the Great. He could barely watch Braden Holtby’s highlight-reel save of the playoffs in Game 2 and was filmed in a state of sharp focus (praying? hoping? wondering if this has been a dream?) prior to the start of Game 3.

For all the flack the NHL receives — lockouts, inconsistency and lack of personality among its players, to reference a few points of critique — the world of sport ought to commend Ovechkin’s passion for the game. It’s contagious, to say the least.

The passing game is one of the underlying stories of the series

The Golden Knights’ passing game is among the best in the NHL. This shouldn’t come as a surprise at all — especially considering the team’s penchant for scoring different kinds of goals, the chemistry of the club’s top line and the array of puck-moving defenders that pilot their back end.

Washington, however, has tapped into this reality. Unlike their postseason predecessors, the Capitals aren’t hesitating to pressure the likes of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, Shea Theodore, Colin Miller and Nate Schmidt — each of whom has exploited opponents in any and all ways over the course of the 2017-18 campaign.

One need only watch Brooks Orpik closely for proof of this. The veteran defender is playing some of the best hockey of his career and constantly demonstrates an ability to outsmart his speedy opponents, thus highlighting the importance of superior “hockey sense.” That said, challenging Vegas’ passing game is clearly part of Barry Trotz’s plan. Matt Niskanen, John Carlson and Dmitry Orlov are all getting into the heads of their respective assignments, giving the Golden Knights little to no time to make plays.

Whether Washington is, in fact, winning the passing battle is subject to debate. It, too, is one of the league’s best puck-moving squads. But if the Capitals manage to pull off a Cinderella victory, their ability to deny their opponent space will be one of the big talking points around the hockey world.

NEXT: Every current NHL franchise’s most beloved head coach

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