Putting years of Stanley Cup frustrations behind them, the Washington Capitals skated to a hard-fought 4-3 victory over the home team Las Vegas Golden Knights to win their first Stanley Cup in the team’s 44-year history. By contrast, Vegas was playing in the Cup finals in the first year of their existence as an expansion team. The Caps won the series 4-1.
After a scoreless first period, Washington jumped to leads of 1-0 and 2-1, but couldn’t hold on. Each time, the home-standing Golden Knights fought back to tie the score and took a 3-2 lead into the dressing room at the end of the second period.
Near the halfway point of the third period, the Caps’ Devonte Smith-Pelly tallied to tie the score. Then, with under nine minutes left Lars Eller added what proved to be the game winner. The Caps held off the Golden Knights’ frantic last-minute push to notch the win.
The “Great 8,” Caps’ Captain Alex Ovechkin scored the first goal and was named the MVP of the Cup series. It was a sweet moment for Ovechkin, one of the NHL’s all-time top goal scorers who more or less “reinvented” himself as an even better all-around player and inspirational leader this season under the guidance of Caps’ Coach Barry Trotz. By winning the elusive Cup, Ovechkin also shed the dubious title of being the “greatest hockey player never to win the Stanley Cup” which had been hanging over his head for most of his amazing and prolific career in DC.
So, tonight DC is “rockin’ the red” and celebrating its first major sports championship in 26 years, since the Redskins won the Super Bowl in 1992! Congrats again to the Caps, Coach Barry Trotz, long-suffering owner Ted Leonsis and the entire “Caps family” on a spectacular season and for bringing some joy to the DC area. Let’s Go Caps!
PWS
06-07-18