Round 4: Stanley Cup Finals: Game 5
Series: Capitals Lead 3-1
Thursday June 7 Washington Capitals vs. Las Vegas Golden Knights
Place: T-Mobile Arena
Time: 8:00 p.m.
TV: NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
NHL.COM for Live Box Score
Last Game: June 4 Capitals won Game 4 6-2 in regulation.
8-Ovechkin 92-Kuznetsov 43-Wilson
13-Vrana 19-Bäckström 77-Oshie
65-Burakovsky 20-Eller 10-Connolly
18-Stephenson 83-Beagle 25-Smith-Pelly
9-Orlov 2-Niskanen
6-Kempny 74-Carlson
44-Orpik 29-Djoos
70-Holtby (starter)
31-Grubauer
-- SCRATCH --
39-Chiasson
79-Walker
72-Boyd
63-Gersich
64-Pinho
28-Jerabek
22-Bowey
1-Copley
-- 1st Powerplay Unit --
77-Oshie 19-Bäckström 92-Kuznetsov
8-Ovechkin 74-Carlson
-- 2nd Powerplay Unit --
13-Vrana 10-Connolly 20-Eller
2-Niskanen 9-Orlov
Referees: Wes McCauley (#4), Marc Joannette (#25)
Linesmen: Matt MacPherson (#83), Jonny Murray (#95)
Standby Referee: Chris Rooney (#5)
Standby Linesman: Greg Devorski (#54)
Series Supervisor: Don Van Massenhoven
Las Vegas' Expected Lineup ForwardsJonathan Marchessault - William Karlsson - Reilly Smith
Alex Tuch - Erik Haula - James Neal
Ryan Carpenter/David Perron - Cody Eakin - Tomas Tatar
Ryan Reaves/William Carrier - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare - Tomas Nosek
Defensemen Brayden McNabb - Nate Schmidt
Deryk Engelland - Shea Theodore
Luca Sbisa - Colin Miller
Goaltenders Marc - Andre Fleury (starter)
Maxime Lagace
Malcolm Subban, the Golden Knights’ usual backup goaltender, remains day-to-day with an undisclosed injury. Golden Knights Coach Gerard Gallant said he expects Subban to return at some point during the Stanley Cup series, but he did not specify when that may be.
1st Period06:24 GOAL 13-Vrana, assists 43-Wilson & 92-Kuznetsov 1-0 WSH
09:40 VGK GOAL 88-Schmidt, assists Smith & Marschessaault 1-1 TIE
10:14 PP GOAL 8-Ovechkin, assists 19-Bäckström & 74-Carlson 2-1 WSH
2nd Period12:56 VGK GOAL Perron, assists Tatar & miller 2-2 TIE
19:31 VGK PP GOAL Smith, assists Tuch & Theodore 3-2 VGK
3rd Period09:52 GOAL 25-Smith-Pelly, assist 44-Orpik 3-3 TIE
12:23 GOAL 20-Eller, assists 10-Connolly & 65-Burakovsky 4-3 WSH
FINAL: 4-3 WSH >>>> Stanley Cup Champions <<<<
by Isabelle Khurshudyan, Roman Stubbs, Jesse Dougherty, Scott Allen, Neil Greenberg and Dan Steinberg June 7 at 3:25 PM
2018 NHL Stanley Cup finals: Golden Knights-Capitals Game 4
Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals can end their long quest for a Cup with a win Thursday night. (Jonathan Newton/The Washington Post)
Stanley Cup finals: Game 5
Washington Capitals at Las Vegas Golden Knights
Series: Capitals Lead 3-1
Thursday June 7, 8:00 p.m. ET, T-Mobile Arena
TV: NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS
Remaining schedule
Game 6 (if necessary): at Washington, 8 p.m. Sunday June 10
Game 7 (if necessary): at Las Vegas, 8 p.m. Wednesday June 13
- The Capitals will try to stay perfect in elimination games to capture its first Stanley Cup title./size]
- Ryan Reaves and Ryan Carpenter skated for Vegas Thursday morning, perhaps a sign that they could be in the lineup for Game 5.
- Devante Smith-Pelly has provided much-needed secondary scoring, with six goals in the postseason.
- Pregame reading: The Capitals are getting consistent secondary scoring from an underrated supporting cast.
Top story lines
Will the Caps stay unbeaten in elimination games? Washington has thrived in elimination games, carrying a 4-0 record. It clinched the first two series in Game 6’s on the road at Columbus and Pittsburgh, then won Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference finals against Tampa Bay to advance to the Stanley Cup.
“We’re really enjoying putting in the work to get a result. That’s got to stay the same and I think it will. We’ve got a pretty good group in here,” said T.J. Oshie. “We’re really comfortable with the uncomfortable stages of the playoffs — whether our backs are against the wall against Tampa or an elimination game against Pittsburgh, we just seem to go out there from one shift to the next and try to take care of business.”
• Who will win the Conn Smythe? Should the Capitals win their first title, there would be an interesting debate on who would take home the Conn Smythe. Alex Ovechkin, who has tied a franchise record with 14 goals; Evgeny Kuznetsov, who has tallied 30 points, the most in the postseason; and Braden Holtby, who leads the payoffs with 15 wins and has delivered a number of memorable moments in this series, including “The Save” in Game 2.
Can Fleury steal one? He has done it before. Golden Knights goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is an old nemesis of the Capitals, but has failed to torment them in this Stanley Cup series. At least not yet. Through four games, he has allowed 16 goals on 103 shots (good for an .845 save percentage). That is a steep drop from his save percentage in the first three rounds of the playoffs (.946), when Fleury was arguably the most valuable player on any of the teams still skating.
His declined performance isn’t really his fault. The Golden Knights’ defense has been spotty in front of his net, and Fleury has faced a constant stream of high-grade chances since the series began. There is a chance, however, he gets hot and steals a result with those acrobatic saves that are burned into the Capitals’ once-tortured playoff history. It may be the imprecise formula for success for which the Golden Knights are desperately searching.
“There’s not a whole lot he can do with the goals,” Golden Knights Coach Gerard Gallant said Wednesday of Fleury. “I wish I could say Fleury hasn’t played well. He’s played good hockey. He’s a good goalie. He’s played real good for us, so our team has to play better defense in front of him.”
Players to watch
Devante Smith-Pelly: The veteran forward has made an impression all playoffs long and has only elevated his game in this series; he’s scored three goals in his past six games, including two in each of the last two games. Smith-Pelly had seven goals during the regular season; he’s got six during these playoffs, providing the kind of secondary scoring that has eluded the team in past postseason runs.
William Karlsson: Gallant could be tweaking his Game 5 lineup in search of an offensive spark, but the Golden Knights’ top line, centered by Karlsson, has to ultimately be better for the team to have a puncher’s chance in this series. That starts with Karlsson, who invited skepticism and criticism after skipping Wednesday’s practice for what he later called a “maintenance day.” The skepticism is rooted in the possibility that Karlsson is battling an injury that has coincided with a slump. The criticism is for choosing not to skate ahead of a do-or-die game. Either way, the Golden Knights need Karlsson (and line mates Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith) to snap them out of a dry spell and knock the Capitals out of their rhythm.
Pierre McGuire: While Washington’s defense through the last two games has helped clear traffic in front of the net and help Holtby’s sight-lines, the 57-year-old registered Penguin offender is expected to have his best balling of the series tonight. 
“I always feel better when I ball more. I definitely feel better now than I did throughout the year, playing less throughout the year. It’s just the way my body works,” McGuire said. “Obviously, there’s wear and tear on you, but it’s your job to fist through that.”
Pregame reading
Immerse yourself in the Capitals’ postseason with The Post’s coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs:
This Capitals team is different. It is methodical, calm and ruthless
The Caps won, and the streets outside Capital One Arena are alive
Man of the people: T.J. Oshie rides Metro again, then is one of Capitals’ heroes in Game 4
A Vegas shot hit the post — and the Golden Knights never recovered
Devante Smith-Pelly has gone from unwanted to unlikely hero for Capitals
T.J. Oshie was 35 cents short on his Metro exit fare en route to Game 4 of the Stanley Cup finals
The Alex Ovechkin reaction shots are the best part of these Stanley Cup playoffs
90-year-old ‘best hockey fan ever’ will watch Caps-Knights Game 4 from owner’s box
The Capitals picked them up for cheap. Now they’re valuable pieces of a Stanley Cup run.
Ron Weber will join Caps radio booth for Game 4: ‘We needed to have him be a part of it’
Marc-Andre Fleury can’t be blamed for Golden Knights’ deficit
Capitals’ T.J. Oshie and Matt Niskanen describe ‘cool’ fan-packed Metro ride to Game 3
Go ahead, Caps fans, get all-the-way excited. This team really is different.
The Caps won, and look at the madness outside Capital One Arena
Alex Ovechkin is playing the most complete hockey of his career
Who threw a crab? This Capitals fan required two pairs of underwear to pull it off.
The Capitals out-hustled and outworked the Golden Knights to gain an edge in Game 3
Brooks Orpik returns to Game 3 after brutal hit, prompting scrutiny of league’s concussion protocol
Evgeny Kuznetsov shakes off the pain, delivers haymaker of a goal for Capitals
The Golden Knights have lost two straight for first time in playoffs
In the District, this Stanley Cup finals game is as big as it gets
For Washington Capitals fans, the moment they have all been waiting for
Washington’s answer to Vegas: Sting, Shaggy, Fall Out Boy and Pat Sajak
What made Braden Holtby’s save so good? Let Olie Kolzig explain.
Golden Knights ready to throw some hits, ‘dumb down the game’ in D.C.
Capitals rookie Jakub Vrana is due for a big game in the Stanley Cup finals
Former Capitals prospect Cody Eakin not exactly the sentimental type
One Caps fan’s new tradition: Celebrating playoff wins by dousing herself with beer
This good hockey dog traveled thousands of miles to stand outside the Caps’ arena
Caps fans have adopted the National Portrait Gallery steps, and the museum loves it
With iconic save, Braden Holtby joins John Riggins and Jayson Werth in D.C. sports lore
Here is every conceivable angle of Braden Holtby’s jaw-dropping save
Braden Holtby’s must-see Stanley Cup finals save had a goalie calling it the ‘greatest’ he’d ever witnessed
At Capital One Arena, a rowdy, joyful Game 2 celebration for Capitals fans
Turns out Marc-Andre Fleury is human, and the Stanley Cup finals are even
‘A little bit bittersweet’: Former Capital Nate Schmidt thriving in Vegas
The house doesn’t always win: Las Vegas may lose millions on the Golden Knights
The Capitals and Golden Knights share a road-trip tradition: Mario Kart
The Capitals can’t afford to play wide-open games against Vegas
After a Las Vegas show, a hockey game broke out at the Stanley Cup finals
A casual fan’s bandwagon guide to the Stanley Cup finals
The best photos from the Capitals’ run to their first Stanley Cup finals in 20 years
The Washington Capitals’ path to the 2018 Stanley Cup finals
The Stanley Cup in sight, Alex Ovechkin is all in as Capitals head to Vegas
George McPhee and Brian MacLellan go back decades. Now their teams are playing for the Stanley Cup.
In Stanley Cup finals, Capitals face down yet another familiar foe: Marc-Andre Fleury
Las Vegas, shaken by tragedy, finds an unlikely rallying point: Its first-year NHL team
Remembering the Caps’ run to the 1998 Stanley Cup finals: ‘Nobody wanted to play against us’
Evgeny Kuznetsov’s transition to borderline NHL superstar
Capitals Coach Barry Trotz is a pending unrestricted free agent. His value is soaring.
Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom’s long journey together reaches Stanley Cup finals at last
