Capitals team effort on display in Cup-clinching victory: 3 takeaways
The Washington Capitals hoist the Stanley Cup after a 4-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5.
The Washington Capitals did it. After years of regular season success and playoff failures, the Capitals can call themselves Stanley Cup champions.
After a tepid first period, things kicked into high gear in the second. Jakub Vrana got the scoring started with a quick shot over the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury. Nate Schmidt tied things when the puck hit the skate of a Capitals player and eluded Braden Holtby.
Alex Ovechkin wasted little time giving Washington its second lead, blasting a one-timer through Fleury after an elevated cross-ice feed by Nicklas Backstrom. David Perron, scoring his first goal of the playoffs, even it up again.
Reilly Smith’s power play tally with thirty seconds remaining in the second gave the Golden Knights their first lead since Game 2.
Midway through the third period, playoff clutch performer Devante Smith-Pelly, falling to his stomach, slid the puck past Fleury. It was his seventh goal of the playoffs, matching his season total, and it tied the game at 3.
Lars Eller was the hero for Washington. A shot by Brett Connolly got through the pads of Fleury and sat behind him for less than a second before Eller swept it into the empty net.
3. All-around effort
You can’t point to a single Washington player who stood out in this game. Ovechkin was his typical lively self. As always, the team goes how he goes, and he certainly had it going on Thursday. But this was a 20-man effort for the Capitals. Yes, I’m even giving Philipp Grubauer credit as the backup goalie. I’m sure he encouraged all the bench players.
Washington got points from 11 different players. Everyone played their part in this victory. When they fell behind by a goal, it just made them hunger in the third period. All playoffs, the talk was how this Capitals team was different. They showed it in the Cup clinching game.
2. Invisible Vegas
When the Golden Knights look back on this series, they’ll see plenty of missed opportunities. Holtby’s save in Game 2 will now be immortalized forever. James Neal missing a wide open net in Game 4 was just as big.
But two chances don’t define a series. Vegas had five games to erase those misses. It was the play of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault, and Marc-Andre Fleury that truly led to the demise of Vegas. Give all the credit in the world to the Capitals as a team. They limited Karlsson and Marchessault to one goal and five points combined. Meanwhile, Fleury was mortal. He gave up 20 goals in the five games. He had given up just 27 in the previous three rounds combined.
1. What a series
Game 1 had everything you could have ever wanted as a hockey fan. Game 5 was an emotional rollercoaster from start to finish. And everything in-between was just as fun. The series only went five games and we didn’t have a classic in overtime, but what more could you ask for in a five game series?
If you had no dog in the race, this was a very entertaining series to follow. The rookie team with castoffs made it further than anyone, including the sports books in their own backyard, thought they would make it.
On the other side, we’ve witnessed Ovechkin’s journey from “can’t spell OVECHKIN without CHOKE” to Stanley Cup winner. There was so much to sink your teeth into in this series. And it delivered.
Next: 10 reasons Stanley Cup Playoffs are better than NBA Playoffs
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