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Stanley Cup Playoffs Recap-Day 45-Stanley Cup Final

written by Ian Sheppard June 8, 2018

Day 45 of the Stanley Cup Playoffs was the final one with the Washington Capitals having the chance to win their first Stanley Cup in franchise history with a victory in Game 5 in Las Vegas. And they took full advantage of that chance finally taking the title of Stanley Cup Champions.

 Here’s how it went down:

 Washington 4-3 Vegas

Washington wins series 4-1

After three straight wins and two consecutive outstanding performances by Braden Holtby, the Caps were hoping for more of the same in Game 5. The stakes were never higher for a Vegas Golden Knights team that had, up to this point, shocked the world.

The first period was relatively close in play with Washington outshooting Vegas but only by a count of 10-7 after the first frame as the opening period went scoreless. The scoring drought ended there as the second period would contain a total of five goals.

The Caps would strike first just under seven minutes into the second period. Deryk Engelland rocketed a shot past the Washington net and off the glass setting up a Caps rush. Jakub Vrana took off with the puck up the wing and sniped a shot over the shoulder of Marc-Andre Fleury and into the corner of the net for the 1-0 lead.

 

Vegas would tie the game just over three minutes later. The Golden Knights set up some pressure in the Caps zone, and Nate Schmidt threw a puck on net deflecting it off the skate of Matt Niskanen and past Holtby for the tie.

It didn’t last long as Washington would retake the lead a minute later. Brayden McNabb was called for tripping after bringing Alexander Ovechkin down on a breakaway.

On the powerplay, Nicklas Backstrom showed great patience waiting with the puck before throwing the perfect saucer pass cross-ice to Ovechkin who sniped it past Fleury for the 2-1 lead, for his 15th of the playoffs the 22nd powerplay goal of the postseason for Washington.

The Golden Knights would tie the game on a controversial goal. Tomas Tatar threw a shot on net with Christian Djoos and David Perron fighting in the crease, with Perron being shoved into the back of the net and Holtby going down to the ice. The puck went off Perron and in.

Washington immediately challenged for goaltender interference, and despite what looked to be obvious, the call on the ice stood and goal counted for the 2-2 tie. The argument could be made that Djoos shoved Perron into his net, but for all intents and purposes, it looked like it shouldn’t count.

It wasn’t done there. After Ovechkin took a tripping penalty, Vegas would capitalize with 28 seconds left in the second. Shea Theodore threw the puck on net, Alex Tuch picked up the rebound and made a backward pass to the left of Holtby to Reilly Smith who buried it in the open net for his fifth of the playoffs and the 3-2 lead.

The Capitals would tie the game at three in the third period. And who else but Devante Smith-Pelly to score the critical goal. After Brooks Orpik worked to keep the puck in the Knight’s zone on the blue-line, he threw it on net. The puck hit Smith-Pelly’s skate and he bounced it to his stick, shooting it into the back of the net as he was falling, past a sprawled-out Fleury.

With 7:37 left in the game Lars Eller became the hero for the Washington Capitals. The Caps turned up the pressure with Andre Burakovsky taking possession behind the net and throwing it out to Brett Connolly who one-timed it on net. Marc-Andre Fleury thought he had the puck between his pads, but it snuck through, and Eller snuck in behind the goaltender to bury the eventual Stanley Cup-winning goal.

The Vegas Golden Knights surprised everyone by being better and so much more than anyone could have been expected coming into the 2017-18 season. Not only winning the Pacific Division and making the playoffs but making it all the way to the Stanley Cup Final and doing it in 15 games. However, it was not enough to go the distance and be Champions in their inaugural season.

The Washington Capitals were finally able to do what they never could before. Win Lord’s Stanley Cup. They went the distance finally getting over the hump and eliminating the Pittsburgh Penguins advancing to the Eastern Conference Final. Then fought back down 3-2 in the series to the Tampa Bay Lightning to advance to Stanley Cup Final where they won four straight after a hot Vegas team won Game 1.

The Conn Smythe trophy went to Alexander Ovechkin and deservedly so. With 15 goals, most of the playoffs, Ovi finally led his team to the pinnacle.

Congratulations to Ovechkin and to the Washington Capitals on becoming the 2018 Stanley Cup Champions on Day 45 of the Playoffs.

 

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