HOW THEY GOT HERE
Capitals (49-26-7, 105 pts., Metropolitan Division title)1st Round: Beat Columbus Blue Jackets in six games
2nd Round: Beat Pittsburgh Penguins in six games
Eastern Conference Final: Beat Tampa Bay Lightning in seven games
Golden Knights (51-24-7, 109 pts., Pacific Division title)
1st Round: Beat Los Angeles Kings in four games
2nd Round: Beat San Jose Sharks in six games
Western Conference Final: Beat Winnipeg Jets in five games
SCHEDULE
Game 1 Monday, May 28 – Golden Knights 6, Capitals 4
Game 2 Wednesday, May 30 – Capitals 3, Golden Knights 2
Game 3 Saturday, June 2 – Capitals 3, Golden Knights 1
Game 4 Monday, June 4 – Capitals 6, Golden Knights 2
Game 5 Thursday, June 7 – Capitals 4, Golden Knights 3 (Capitals win series 4-1)
PLAYOFF HISTORY
Capitals: 28 times in the playoffs, 1 Stanley Cup Final appearanceGolden Knights: Inaugural seasonCONNECTIONS
Thirteen members of this Capitals playoff team were drafted by Vegas Golden Knights manager George McPhee during his 17-year tenure in Washington. Forward Jay Beagle was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2008 by McPhee.
Golden Knights defenseman Nate Schmidt played four seasons in Washington after being signed as an undrafted free agent in 2013. He was selected in last June’s expansion draft after the Capitals left him exposed. Vegas forward Cody Eakin was drafted by McPhee in 2009 and played only 30 games with the Capitals before being traded to Dallas in 2012.
McPhee and Capitals GM Brian MacLellan were teammates with the Guelph Holody Platers in the Ontario Junior A Hockey League in 1977-78. They would later play four seasons together at Bowling Green University and reunited for one season with the New York Rangers in 1985-86.
MacLellan and McPhee would become co-workers once their hockey careers ended. In 2004, MacLellan was hired by the Capitals and worked as a pro scout, director of player personnel and as an assistant GM to McPhee.
VEGAS PRE-GAME SHOW BREAK
What Washington D.C. symbol will the knight battle in the Cup Final?
[How Golden Knights were built | How Capitals were built]
CUP FINAL EXPERIENCE
Only Marc-Andre Fleury, James Neal and Brooks Orpik have played this far into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Fleury won three rings with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2009 (along with Orpik), 2016 and 2017. Neal, who was with the Nashville Predators last season, was on the losing end of the 2016 Final against Fleury’s Penguins.
TROPHY SUPERSTITION
Hockey players are superstitious and some captains have refused to touch the Prince of Wales Trophy and the Clarence S. Campbell Bowl for fear of bad luck. Others had no problem picking it up. Both Alex Ovechkin and Deryk Engelland lifted up their respective conference trophies, thus throwing the supposed jinx out of the window.
CONN SMYTHE UPDATE
The NHL’s playoff MVP award factors in all four rounds, not just the Final. Through three rounds, here’s who we have as the top five:
1. Marc-Andre Fleury, Golden Knights (.947 save percentage, 1.68 goals against average 4 shutouts)
2. Alex Ovechkin, Capitals (12 goals, 22 points)
3. Braden Holtby, Capitals (.923 save percentage, 2.04 goals against average, 2 shutouts)
4. Evgeny Kuznetsov, Capitals (11 goals, 24 points)
5. Jonathan Marchessault, Golden Knights (8 goals, 18 points)
2018 STANLEY CUP FINAL PREVIEW
• Who has the better forwards?
• Who has better defense?
• Who has better goaltending?
• Who has better special teams?
• Who has better coaching?
MORE:
• NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub
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Sean Leahy is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @Sean_Leahy.