Capitals Win 2018 Stanley Cup

The Washington Capitals have defeated the Vegas Golden Knights in 5 games to win the 2018 Stanley Cup. Winning game 5 by a score of 4-3, the Capitals won their first Stanley Cup in their 44-year history. This is the first time a D.C.-based sports franchise has won a title in any major sport since the Redskins won the Super Bowl in 1992. Lars Eller scored the game-winning goal for the Caps 12:23 into the third period, coming just 2 minutes and 31 seconds after Devante Smith-Pelly tied the game at 3. It was a back and forth game 5, with four lead changes. Alex Ovechkin won the Conn Smythe trophy as the most valuable player throughout the playoffs, leading the Caps with 15 goals, and his 27 total points were second on the team, behind Evgeny Kuznetsov’s 32. This is Ovechkin’s first time winning the Stanley Cup since his NHL career began in 2005, despite him being one of the most lethal scorers in the history of the NHL. This was the Capitals year, and they came from behind in each of their 4 playoff series, ultimately beating Columbus, Pittsburgh, Tampa, and now Vegas. Brayden Holtby was a brick wall in goal for the Capitals, as he had a playoff GAA of just 2.16. On the losing side, Reilly Smith led Vegas with 22 playoff points, and Jonathan Marchessault led the team in playoff goals with 8. The Golden Knights had a phenomenal season, defying expectations and reaching the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural season. General Manager George McPhee did a great job of picking players in last June’s expansion draft, and head coach Gerard Gallant is the favorite to win the Jack Adams award as the league’s best coach. Coming into the year, the Knights odds to win the Stanley Cup were 500-1, so just reaching the finals is quite an outstanding feat. The next event on the NHL calendar is the draft starting on June 22nd.