The 2018 Stanley Cup Finals was the
championship series of the
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League (NHL; french: Ligue nationale de hockey—LNH, ) is a professional ice hockey league in North America comprising 32 teams—25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. It is considered to be the top ranked professional ...
's (NHL)
2017–18 season and the culmination of the
2018 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on April 11, 2018, after the 2017–18 regular season and concluded on June 7, 2018, with the Washington Capitals winning their fir ...
. The
Eastern Conference champion
Washington Capitals
The Washington Capitals (colloquially known as the Caps) are a professional ice hockey team based in Washington, D.C. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference, a ...
defeated the
Western Conference champion
Vegas Golden Knights
The Vegas Golden Knights are a professional ice hockey team based in the Las Vegas metropolitan area. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference. Founded in 2017 as an expa ...
four games to one to win their first championship, in their 44th season. The Vegas Golden Knights made the Finals in their first season, while this was the second Finals appearance for the Capitals. This was the first Finals series since
2007 where neither team had previously won the Stanley Cup and the third consecutive year in which a Western Conference team made their Finals debut. This was the first Finals since
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
to require fewer than six games. Washington captain
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin ( rus, Александр Михайлович Овечкин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capital ...
was awarded the
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy (french: Trophée Conn Smythe) is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) of his team during the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general ma ...
as the most valuable player of the playoffs.
The series began on May 28 and ended on June 7.
The Vegas Golden Knights had
home ice advantage in the series since the Golden Knights won the
Pacific Division with 109 points during the regular season, while the Capitals won the
Metropolitan Division
The National Hockey League's Metropolitan Division (often referred to simply as the "Metro Division") was formed in 2013 as one of the two divisions in the Eastern Conference as part of a league realignment. It is also a successor of the original ...
with 105 points.
Path to the Finals
Washington Capitals
This was Washington's second Finals appearance; the Capitals were swept in four games by the
Detroit Red Wings in
1998
1998 was designated as the ''International Year of the Ocean''.
Events January
* January 6 – The ''Lunar Prospector'' spacecraft is launched into orbit around the Moon, and later finds evidence for frozen water, in soil in permanently s ...
.
The Capitals did not make many major offseason transactions with the exception of signing forward
Devante Smith-Pelly. Major re-signings during the off-season included forwards
T. J. Oshie,
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Yevgeny Yevgenyevich Kuznetsov (russian: Евгений Евгеньевич Кузнецов; born 19 May 1992) is a Russian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He ...
, and
Andre Burakovsky; and goalie
Philipp Grubauer
Philipp Grubauer (born 25 November 1991) is a German professional ice hockey goaltender for the Seattle Kraken of the National Hockey League (NHL).
He was drafted by the Washington Capitals in the fourth round, 112th overall, of the 2010 NHL Ent ...
. Washington then re-signed
Lars Eller
Lars Fosgaard Eller (born 8 May 1989) is a Danish professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Tiger", he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first round, 13th overall in th ...
during the season. The team was conservative during the trade deadline. Wanting to make a Stanley Cup run with the core players that they already had, they only acquired defensemen
Michal Kempny from the
Chicago Blackhawks
The Chicago Blackhawks (spelled Black Hawks until 1986, and known colloquially as the Hawks) are a professional ice hockey team based in Chicago. The Blackhawks compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division i ...
and
Jakub Jerabek from the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
.
The Capitals finished the regular season with 105 points (49–26–7), winning their division. Left winger and team captain
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin ( rus, Александр Михайлович Овечкин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capital ...
was the winner of this season's
Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy
The Maurice "Rocket" Richard Trophy, also known as the Rocket Richard Trophy, is awarded annually to the leading goal scorer in the National Hockey League (NHL). It was donated to the NHL by the Montreal Canadiens in and is named in honour of leg ...
, leading the league with 49 regular-season goals. Kuznetsov led the team in assists with 56.
In the first round of playoffs, Washington came back from a 0–2 series deficit to win four in a row to beat the
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Columbus Blue Jackets (often simply referred to as the Jackets) are a professional ice hockey team based in Columbus, Ohio. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference ...
in six games. The Capitals then won a 4–2 series against their
division rival and two-time defending champion
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
, whom the Capitals had beaten in a playoff series only once in ten previous attempts since 1994; losing the last seven prior series to them. The Penguins had eliminated Washington from the playoffs in the second round the previous two years. Washington then defeated the
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning (colloquially known as the Bolts) are a professional ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Atlantic Division in the Eastern Conference. They play th ...
in the Eastern Conference Finals in seven games, winning game seven on the road for only the second time in franchise history and first since
2012
File:2012 Events Collage V3.png, From left, clockwise: The passenger cruise ship Costa Concordia lies capsized after the Costa Concordia disaster; Damage to Casino Pier in Seaside Heights, New Jersey as a result of Hurricane Sandy; People gat ...
.
Vegas Golden Knights
Vegas became the first expansion team since the
1967–68 St. Louis Blues to make the Stanley Cup Finals in their inaugural season. However, the 1967–68 expansion was structured so that an expansion team was guaranteed to make the final. By contrast, the Golden Knights entered the season as long shots to make the postseason, let alone the Finals, with sources like
Deadspin
''Deadspin'' is a sports blog founded by Will Leitch in 2005 and based in Chicago. Previously owned by Gawker Media and Univision Communications, it is currently owned by G/O Media.
''Deadspin'' posted daily previews, recaps, and commentaries o ...
and ''
Newsweek
''Newsweek'' is an American weekly online news magazine co-owned 50 percent each by Dev Pragad, its president and CEO, and Johnathan Davis, who has no operational role at ''Newsweek''. Founded as a weekly print magazine in 1933, it was widely ...
'' predicting that the Golden Knights would be among the worst teams in the league. However, the Golden Knights exceeded even the most optimistic projections to turn in
one of the strongest debut seasons for an expansion team in
North American professional sports history.
Las Vegas was awarded as the NHL's 31st franchise on June 22, 2016, to begin to play for the 2017–18 season. On April 13, 2017, the team announced the hiring of their inaugural head coach,
Gerard Gallant
Gerard Gallant (born September 2, 1963) is a Canadian ice hockey coach and former player. He is the current head coach of the New York Rangers of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously served as the head coach for the Columbus Blue ...
. The team then participated in the
2017 NHL Expansion Draft
Seventeen or 17 may refer to:
*17 (number), the natural number following 16 and preceding 18
* one of the years 17 BC, AD 17, 1917, 2017
Literature
Magazines
* ''Seventeen'' (American magazine), an American magazine
* ''Seventeen'' (Japanese m ...
on June 21, selecting an available player from all of the other 30 NHL teams. Some notable selections included goalie
Marc-Andre Fleury, who had won three Stanley Cups as a member of the
Pittsburgh Penguins
The Pittsburgh Penguins (colloquially known as the Pens) are a professional ice hockey team based in Pittsburgh. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division of the Eastern Conference, and have playe ...
, winger
James Neal from the
Nashville Predators
The Nashville Predators (commonly referred to as the Preds) are a professional ice hockey team based in Nashville, Tennessee. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and ha ...
, and
Jonathan Marchessault
Jonathan Marchessault (né Audy-Marchessault; born December 27, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa B ...
from the
Florida Panthers. Fleury was left exposed by the Penguins because of the emergence of
Matt Murray. The Panthers, who had salary cap issues, traded
Reilly Smith
Reilly Smith (born April 1, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Growing up in Toronto, Smith played junior hockey with St. Michael's ...
to the Golden Knights in exchange for Vegas selecting Marchessault.
The team started winning, despite Fleury being injured for most of the first months of the season. The team relied on four other goaltenders while their starter was injured. Instead of being sellers trying to unload players with one-year contracts by the trade deadline, Vegas became surprise buyers, acquiring
Ryan Reaves
Ryan Reaves (born January 20, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, and ...
from the Penguins and
Tomas Tatar from the
Detroit Red Wings.
On March 26, 2018, Vegas became the first team to make the playoffs in their inaugural season in the league since the
Edmonton Oilers
The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division of the Western Conference. They play their home games at Rogers Place, which ...
and
Hartford Whalers
The Hartford Whalers were a professional ice hockey team based for most of its existence in Hartford, Connecticut. The club played in the World Hockey Association (WHA) from 1972 until 1979, and in the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1979 to ...
in the
1979–80 season. Following that achievement, on March 31, Vegas became the first modern-era expansion team from any of the four major sports and the first NHL team since the
1926–27 New York Rangers to win their division in their inaugural season (excluding the
1967–68 Philadelphia Flyers, as all teams in the
West Division that year were expansion teams). The Golden Knights ended up finishing the regular season with 109 points (51–24–7). In the playoffs, Vegas swept the
Los Angeles Kings
The Los Angeles Kings are a professional ice hockey team based in Los Angeles. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference and was founded on June 5, 1967, after Jack Kent ...
in four games, defeated the
San Jose Sharks
The San Jose Sharks are a professional ice hockey team based in San Jose, California. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division in the Western Conference, and are owned by San Jose Sports & Entertainm ...
in six games, and eliminated the
Winnipeg Jets
The Winnipeg Jets are a professional ice hockey team based in Winnipeg. The team competes in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Central Division in the Western Conference, and is owned by True North Sports & Entertainment, p ...
in the Western Conference Finals in five games.
With Vegas' trip to the 2018 Finals, a brand-new team in the league has now reached the Stanley Cup Finals every 50 years dating back to 1918. The
Toronto Arenas
The Toronto Arenas or Torontos were a professional men's ice hockey team that played in the first two seasons of the National Hockey League (NHL). It was operated by the owner of the Arena Gardens, the Toronto Arena Company. As the ownership of ...
reached the
1918 Stanley Cup Finals
The 1918 Stanley Cup Finals was contested by the National Hockey League (NHL) champion Toronto and the Pacific Coast Hockey Association (PCHA) champion Vancouver Millionaires. In a series held entirely in Toronto, the Toronto team won the series b ...
and won the Cup, but this was the first year of the new NHL (after every team except the Toronto Blueshirts left the
National Hockey Association
The National Hockey Association (NHA), officially the National Hockey Association of Canada Limited, was a professional ice hockey organization with teams in Ontario and Quebec, Canada. It is the direct predecessor of today's National Hockey Lea ...
). The St. Louis Blues reached the
1968 Stanley Cup Finals and got swept by the
Montreal Canadiens
The Montreal CanadiensEven in English, the French spelling is always used instead of ''Canadians''. The French spelling of ''Montréal'' is also sometimes used in the English media. (french: link=no, Les Canadiens de Montréal), officially ...
. However, the Blues and five other brand-new expansion teams all entered the league at the same time and were all placed in the
West Division, with the
Original Six
The Original Six () are the teams that comprised the National Hockey League (NHL) between 1942 and 1967. The six teams are the Boston Bruins, Chicago Black Hawks, Detroit Red Wings, Montreal Canadiens, New York Rangers, and Toronto Maple Leaf ...
comprising the
East Division. The playoffs were structured so that one of the newly minted teams was guaranteed a berth in the Finals. In contrast, the Golden Knights were the first true expansion team in NHL history to advance all the way to the Finals while not playing in an all-expansion division.
The Golden Knights were only the second captainless team since
1973
Events January
* January 1 - The United Kingdom, the Republic of Ireland and Denmark 1973 enlargement of the European Communities, enter the European Economic Community, which later becomes the European Union.
* January 15 – Vietnam War: ...
to be in the Finals, and the first since the
New York Rangers
The New York Rangers are a professional ice hockey team based in the New York City borough of Manhattan. They compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Metropolitan Division in the Eastern Conference. The team plays its home ...
in
2014
File:2014 Events Collage.png, From top left, clockwise: Stocking up supplies and personal protective equipment (PPE) for the Western African Ebola virus epidemic; Citizens examining the ruins after the Chibok schoolgirls kidnapping; Bundles of wat ...
.
Game summaries
:'' Number in parenthesis represents the player's total goals or assists to that point of the entire four rounds of the playoffs''
Game one
![Nosek7990 34216865794 o (40542079232) (cropped)](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2c/Nosek7990_34216865794_o_%2840542079232%29_%28cropped%29.jpg)
Both teams scored twice in the opening period. The first goal came from Vegas Golden Knights defenceman
Colin Miller whose slap shot went past Capitals goaltender
Braden Holtby
Braden Holtby (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He previously played for the Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars of the National Hockey Lea ...
. Washington struck back later in the period as both
Brett Connolly
Brett Connolly (born May 2, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for HC Lugano of the National League (NL). During his major junior career with the Prince George Cougars, he was named Western Hockey League (WHL) and Canadian Hocke ...
and
Nicklas Backstrom scored 42 seconds apart.
William Karlsson
Lars William Karlsson (born 8 January 1993), nicknamed "Wild Bill", is a Swedish professional ice hockey forward for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted in the second round, 53rd overall, by the Anaheim ...
then snuck the puck in between Holtby and the left post to tie the game. Early in the second period, a rebound off the glass came to
Deryk Engelland who passed to an open
Reilly Smith
Reilly Smith (born April 1, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Growing up in Toronto, Smith played junior hockey with St. Michael's ...
firing one past Holtby. Capitals defenceman
John Carlson tied up the score after some nice passing from the defender and
T. J. Oshie left himself wide open for the goal. In the third period,
Tom Wilson redirected
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin ( rus, Александр Михайлович Овечкин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capital ...
's shot past Vegas goaltender
Marc-Andre Fleury to take the lead in the game. However, Vegas responded 1:41 later as
Ryan Reaves
Ryan Reaves (born January 20, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger for the Minnesota Wild of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the St. Louis Blues, Pittsburgh Penguins, Vegas Golden Knights, and ...
went top-shelf to tie the game yet again. This goal proved to be controversial, as Ryan Reaves illegally cross-checked
John Carlson to get into position to score.
Tomas Nosek was able to score for Vegas later in the period, taking the pass from
Shea Theodore. Vegas kept the lead in the penultimate minutes, grabbing an empty-net goal in the final minute to finish the game 6–4.
Game two
![Braden Holtby 2016-04-07 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/18/Braden_Holtby_2016-04-07_1.JPG)
During the first period of game two,
James Neal took a pass from
Luca Sbisa
The last universal common ancestor (LUCA) is the most recent population from which all organisms now living on Earth share common descent—the most recent common ancestor of all current life on Earth. This includes all cellular organisms; t ...
, firing a wrist shot past
Braden Holtby
Braden Holtby (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He previously played for the Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars of the National Hockey Lea ...
. The Capitals tied the game during a four-on-four when
Lars Eller
Lars Fosgaard Eller (born 8 May 1989) is a Danish professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Tiger", he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first round, 13th overall in th ...
shot into an empty net from
Michal Kempny's pass. During the second period, Golden Knights rookie
Alex Tuch
Alex Daniel Tuch ( ; born May 10, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Dra ...
was penalized for cross-checking, and on the ensuing power-play, Capitals captain
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin ( rus, Александр Михайлович Овечкин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capital ...
fired a shot from a tight angle to give Washington the lead.
Brooks Orpik
Richard Brooks Orpik (born September 26, 1980) is an American former professional ice hockey defenseman who played for the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). A stay-at-home defenseman and locker ...
extended the Capitals' lead to two goals when his shot deflected off
Alex Tuch
Alex Daniel Tuch ( ; born May 10, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Dra ...
past
Marc-Andre Fleury. Vegas cut the deficit by one goal when
T. J. Oshie interfered with
Colin Miller and
Shea Theodore scored on the power-play. In the third period Holtby backstopped Washington to the victory, stopping the final fifteen shots from Vegas to win 3–2.
Game three
![Devante Smith-Pelly 2018-04-29](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/6/66/Devante_Smith-Pelly_2018-04-29.jpg)
After a tense first period in which neither team scored,
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin ( rus, Александр Михайлович Овечкин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capital ...
scored early in the second period to give Washington the lead.
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Yevgeny Yevgenyevich Kuznetsov (russian: Евгений Евгеньевич Кузнецов; born 19 May 1992) is a Russian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He ...
, who was believed to have suffered an arm injury the game prior, scored 11:40 after Ovechkin, extending Washington's lead to two.
Tomas Nosek scored off of a
Braden Holtby
Braden Holtby (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He previously played for the Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars of the National Hockey Lea ...
giveaway to cut the deficit in half early in the third period. However, 10 minutes later
Shea Theodore mishandled the puck in his own zone and
Jay Beagle
Jay Beagle (born October 16, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre who last played for the Arizona Coyotes of the National Hockey League (NHL). As an undrafted free agent, Beagle joined the Washington Capitals's organization fo ...
capitalized on the error, making a pass to an open
Devante Smith-Pelly who restored the two-goal lead for Washington. The Capitals played defensively for the final minutes of the game to win 3–1, and took the series lead.
Game four
![Evgeny Kuznetsov 2018-04-29](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d1/Evgeny_Kuznetsov_2018-04-29.jpg)
During the first period, a penalty called on
Colin Miller for tripping allowed
T. J. Oshie to give Washington the first lead. The Capitals extended the lead after
Evgeny Kuznetsov
Yevgeny Yevgenyevich Kuznetsov (russian: Евгений Евгеньевич Кузнецов; born 19 May 1992) is a Russian professional ice hockey forward currently playing for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). He ...
fed a pass to
Tom Wilson who fired a wrist shot past
Marc-Andre Fleury.
Devante Smith-Pelly then gave Washington a 3–0 lead after a pass by
Matt Niskanen deflected off Vegas forward
Jonathan Marchessault
Jonathan Marchessault (né Audy-Marchessault; born December 27, 1990) is a Canadian professional ice hockey forward for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL). He has previously played for the Columbus Blue Jackets, Tampa B ...
to the stick of Smith-Pelly, who scored top-shelf on Fleury. Even with the Golden Knights more than doubling the shots of Washington,
John Carlson gave the Capitals a 4–0 lead, firing a slap shot on the power-play. In the third period, Vegas ended the shutout as
James Neal scored just as Evgeny Kuznetsov's tripping penalty had expired.
Reilly Smith
Reilly Smith (born April 1, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Growing up in Toronto, Smith played junior hockey with St. Michael's ...
cut the deficit to two goals, scoring on the backhand past
Braden Holtby
Braden Holtby (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He previously played for the Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars of the National Hockey Lea ...
. Washington restored a three-goal lead during a four-on-four; as
Nicklas Backstrom fed an open
Michal Kempny, firing the shot past Fleury.
Brett Connolly
Brett Connolly (born May 2, 1992) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for HC Lugano of the National League (NL). During his major junior career with the Prince George Cougars, he was named Western Hockey League (WHL) and Canadian Hocke ...
added an insurance goal with less than two minutes remaining, giving the Capitals a commanding 6–2 lead.
Game five
![Lars Eller 2018-02-04 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/e9/Lars_Eller_2018-02-04_1.jpg)
Although no goals were scored in the first period, the Capitals had the shot advantage nine to seven. During the second period,
Tom Wilson passed to a speedy
Jakub Vrana going past the Golden Knight's defender and beating
Marc-Andre Fleury to take the lead. The Golden Knights tied the game soon after as former-Capitals defenceman
Nate Schmidt shot through a flurry of players and the puck deflected off of
Matt Niskanen past
Braden Holtby
Braden Holtby (born September 16, 1989) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender who is currently an unrestricted free agent. He previously played for the Washington Capitals, Vancouver Canucks and Dallas Stars of the National Hockey Lea ...
.
Alexander Ovechkin
Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin ( rus, Александр Михайлович Овечкин, p=ɐlʲɪˈksandr ɐˈvʲetɕkʲɪn; born 17 September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey left winger and captain of the Washington Capital ...
gave the Capitals the lead again on the power play, firing a shot onto Fleury, bouncing off his back and into the net. With the goal, it broke a tie with
John Druce
John W. Druce (born February 23, 1966) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey right winger who played in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Washington Capitals, Winnipeg Jets, Los Angeles Kings and Philadelphia Flyers
Playing career ...
for most goals in a postseason by a Capitals player with fifteen.
David Perron
David Perron (born May 28, 1988) is a Canadian professional ice hockey player for the Detroit Red Wings of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Growing up in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Perron played his junior hockey for the Lewiston Maineiacs of the ...
tied the game for Vegas, scoring his first goal of the postseason via deflection. Coach
Barry Trotz
Barry Trotz (born July 15, 1962) is a Canadian professional ice hockey coach who most recently was head coach of the New York Islanders of the National Hockey League (NHL). He is also the former head coach of the Nashville Predators and the Washi ...
of the Capitals challenged the play on goaltender interference as Perron appeared to hit the skate of Holtby as he was battling for position; the challenge was unsuccessful. An open
Reilly Smith
Reilly Smith (born April 1, 1991) is a Canadian professional ice hockey right winger and alternate captain for the Vegas Golden Knights of the National Hockey League (NHL).
Growing up in Toronto, Smith played junior hockey with St. Michael's ...
gave the Golden Knights the lead in the final minute of the second period, taking the pass from
Alex Tuch
Alex Daniel Tuch ( ; born May 10, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey forward for the Buffalo Sabres of the National Hockey League (NHL). He was drafted by the Minnesota Wild in the first round, 18th overall, in the 2014 NHL Entry Dra ...
. Halfway through the third period,
Devante Smith-Pelly tied the game for the Capitals. Less than three minutes later, a shot came from the slot and went between Fleury's pads, but, unbeknownst to Fleury and his defensemen, the puck sneaked through and was lying in view just behind him, and
Lars Eller
Lars Fosgaard Eller (born 8 May 1989) is a Danish professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Tiger", he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first round, 13th overall in th ...
forehanded it into the net to give the Capitals the lead with 7:37 left. With two minutes left, Vegas pulled Fleury for an extra attacker. At 18:11 of the third period, the game clock froze; however, the next stoppage in play occurred at 28.9 seconds remaining, allowing the clock to be readjusted. Nevertheless, the attempts of the Golden Knights were thwarted as the Capitals held on to win the game and their first Stanley Cup. Ovechkin was awarded the
Conn Smythe Trophy
The Conn Smythe Trophy (french: Trophée Conn Smythe) is awarded annually to the most valuable player (MVP) of his team during the National Hockey League's (NHL) Stanley Cup playoffs. It is named after Conn Smythe, the longtime owner, general ma ...
.
Team rosters
Vegas Golden Knights
![Deryk Engelland 2018-02-04 1](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/8/8c/Deryk_Engelland_2018-02-04_1.jpg)
Note: ''
Deryk Engelland served as the Golden Knights unofficial team captain during the
2018 Stanley Cup playoffs
The 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs was the playoff tournament of the National Hockey League (NHL). The playoffs began on April 11, 2018, after the 2017–18 regular season and concluded on June 7, 2018, with the Washington Capitals winning their fir ...
. Engelland was the alternate captain with the longest tenure in the league on the roster at the time of the playoffs.
Washington Capitals
Stanley Cup engraving
The Stanley Cup was presented to Capitals captain Alexander Ovechkin by
NHL commissioner Gary Bettman following the Capitals 4–3 win over the Golden Knights in game five.
The following Capitals players and staff had their names engraved on the Stanley Cup:
2017–18 Washington Capitals
Players included
* #6
Michal Kempny — played 31 regular-season games for Chicago, 22 games for Washington. He played all 24 playoff games for Washington and qualified to have his name on the Stanley Cup.
* #39
Alex Chiasson — played 61 regular-season games and 16 playoff games, but no
Stanley Cup Finals
The Stanley Cup Finals in ice hockey (also known as the Stanley Cup Final among various media, french: Finale de la Coupe Stanley) is the National Hockey League's (NHL) championship series to determine the winner of the Stanley Cup, North America ...
games, qualified to have his name on the Cup for meeting the 41 regular-season game requirement.
* #22
Madison Bowey — played 51 regular-season games and no playoff games, qualified to have his name on the Cup for meeting the 41 regular season game requirement.
Included in the team picture, but left off the Stanley Cup
* #28
Jakub Jerabek (D) — played 25 games for Montreal, plus 11 regular-season games for Washington and two playoff games (in the first round)
* #72
Travis Boyd (C) — played 8 regular-season games and one playoff game (in the second round)
* #79
Nathan Walker
Nathan Walker (born 7 February 1994) is a Welsh-born Australian professional ice hockey forward who is currently playing for the St. Louis Blues of the National Hockey League (NHL). Walker, who was born in Wales, grew up in Australia and fir ...
(LW) — played 2 games for Edmonton, plus 7 regular-season games for Washington & one playoff game (in the second round)
* #63
Shane Gersich
Shane Gersich (born July 10, 1996) is an American professional ice hockey winger currently playing for Västerås IK in the HockeyAllsvenskan (Allsv). Gersich was selected 134th overall by the Washington Capitals at the 2014 NHL Entry Draft.
Ea ...
(LW) — played 3 regular-season games and two playoff games (in the second round)
*
Raul Fernandez (Vice Chairman-Minority Owner),
Sheila Johnson
Sheila Crump Johnson (born January 25, 1949) is an American businesswoman, co-founder of BET, CEO of Salamander Hotels and Resorts, and the first billionaire African-American woman.
Johnson is team president, managing partner, and governor of the ...
(Vice Chairman-Minority Owner)
*Cleo Bates (Massage Therapist), Ray Straccia (Locker Room Asst.)
Engraving notes
*Devante Smith-Pelly was the second player, after
Patrice Bergeron-Cleary, to have a hyphenated surname engraved on the trophy.
*
Lars Eller
Lars Fosgaard Eller (born 8 May 1989) is a Danish professional ice hockey player for the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the Tiger", he was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in the first round, 13th overall in th ...
was the first Danish-born and trained player to win the Stanley Cup.
*The Cup was full, so a new ring was added to include Washington Capitals members. The top ring with the winners from 1953–54 to 1964-65 (12 teams) was taken off and was placed on permanent display at the Hockey Hall of Fame. Some famous names no longer featured on the Cup include
Dickie Moore,
Maurice Richard
Joseph Henri Maurice "Rocket" Richard (; ; August 4, 1921 – May 27, 2000) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played 18 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for the Montreal Canadiens. He was the first player in NHL hist ...
,
Jacques Plante
Joseph Jacques Omer Plante (; January 17, 1929 – February 27, 1986) was a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender. During a career lasting from 1947 to 1975, he was considered to be one of the most important innovators in hockey. He played ...
,
Bert Olmstead
Murray Albert Olmstead (September 4, 1926 – November 16, 2015) was a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who played for the Montreal Canadiens, Chicago Black Hawks and Toronto Maple Leafs in the National Hockey League (NHL). Olmste ...
,
Ted Lindsay
Ted Lindsay (born Robert Blake Theodore Lindsay; July 29, 1925 – March 4, 2019) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player who played as a forward for the Detroit Red Wings and Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League (NHL). Lindsa ...
,
Alex Delvecchio
Alexander Peter "Fats" Delvecchio (born December 4, 1931) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player, coach, and general manager who spent his entire National Hockey League (NHL) career with the Detroit Red Wings. In a playing caree ...
,
Gordie Howe
Gordon Howe (March 31, 1928 – June 10, 2016) was a Canadian professional ice hockey player. From 1946 to 1980, he played 26 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) and six seasons in the World Hockey Association (WHA); his first 25 seaso ...
,
Stan Mikita
Stanley Mikita (born Stanislav Guoth; May 20, 1940 – August 7, 2018) was a Slovak-born Canadian ice hockey player for the Chicago Black Hawks of the National Hockey League, generally regarded as the best centre of the 1960s. In 2017, he was n ...
,
Bobby Hull
Robert Marvin Hull OC (born January 3, 1939) is a Canadian former ice hockey player who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. His blonde hair, skating speed, end-to-end rushes, and ability to shoot the puck at very high veloc ...
, among others. There are several retired rings at the Hockey Hall of Fame that feature winning team members' names from 1924 to 1965.
*The Patrick Family now has 7 members who have won the Stanley Cup.
Frank
Frank or Franks may refer to:
People
* Frank (given name)
* Frank (surname)
* Franks (surname)
* Franks, a medieval Germanic people
* Frank, a term in the Muslim world for all western Europeans, particularly during the Crusades - see Farang
Curr ...
won the Cup in 1915. Frank's brother,
Lester
Lester is an ancient Anglo-Saxon surname and given name. Notable people and characters with the name include:
People
Given name
* Lester Bangs (1948–1982), American music critic
* Lester W. Bentley (1908–1972), American artist from Wisc ...
, won Cups in 1906-07-25-28-33-40. In 1940, Lester won his 6th and final Stanley Cup with his sons
Lynn and
Murray
Murray may refer to:
Businesses
* Murray (bicycle company), an American manufacturer of low-cost bicycles
* Murrays, an Australian bus company
* Murray International Trust, a Scottish investment trust
* D. & W. Murray Limited, an Australian who ...
. Lynn's son
Craig won 2 Cups in 1991–92. Murray's son
Dick
Dick, Dicks, or Dick's may refer to:
Media
* ''Dicks'' (album), a 2004 album by Fila Brazillia
* Dicks (band), a musical group
* ''Dick'' (film), a 1999 American comedy film
* "Dick" (song), a 2019 song by Starboi3 featuring Doja Cat
Names
...
and grandson Christopher both won the Cup in 2018.
Television and radio
In Canada, the series was broadcast by
Sportsnet
Sportsnet is a Canadian English-language sports specialty channel owned by Rogers Sports & Media. It was established in 1998 as CTV Sportsnet, a joint venture between CTV, Liberty Media, and Rogers Media. CTV parent Bell Globemedia then ...
and
CBC Television
CBC Television (also known as CBC TV) is a Canadian English-language broadcast television network owned by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, the national public broadcaster. The network began operations on September 6, 1952. Its French-l ...
in
English
English usually refers to:
* English language
* English people
English may also refer to:
Peoples, culture, and language
* ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England
** English national ide ...
, and
TVA Sports
TVA Sports is a Canadian French-language sports specialty channel owned by the Groupe TVA, a publicly traded subsidiary of Quebecor Media. The channel is a general-interest sports network, and the first major competitor to RDS, the only other Fre ...
in
French. In the U.S., the Finals were split between
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) is an American English-language commercial broadcast television and radio network. The flagship property of the NBC Entertainment division of NBCUniversal, a division of Comcast, its headquarters are l ...
(Games 1, 4 and 5) and
NBCSN
NBCSN was an American sports television television channel, channel owned by the NBC Sports Group division of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast. It originally launched on July 1, 1995, as the Outdoor Life Network (OLN), which was dedicated t ...
(Games 2 and 3).
In the U.S., with an average of 4.918 million viewers across all games, they were the highest-rated Stanley Cup Finals without an "Original Six" team since 1994. Game 5 drew 6.714 million viewers, making it the most-watched game 5 since 2002.
References
External links
Official website
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Stanley Cup Finals
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
Washington Capitals games
Vegas Golden Knights games
Sports competitions in Las Vegas
Sports competitions in Washington, D.C.
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup (french: La Coupe Stanley) is the championship trophy awarded annually to the National Hockey League (NHL) playoff champion. It is the oldest existing trophy to be awarded to a professional sports franchise in North America, an ...