The Washington Capitals have won the Stanley Cup for the first time in the franchise’s history after seeing off the Vegas Golden Knights 4-1.
Here Press Association Sport examines five things learned from the climax to the NHL season.
The Capitals dominated on the powerplay
The Vegas Golden Knights went into the post-season having successfully killed four in every five penalties (83%) conceded during their 82 regular season games. When Brett Connolly found the net to wrap up a 6-2 win in Game 4, the Golden Knights kill percentage in the series dropped to 67%. The Caps have been ruthless with the man advantage in the playoffs, with a powerplay percentage of 29.6% – converting 21 of 71 attempts.
Alex Ovechkin cemented his position among the greats
Ovi has taken his fair share of the flack for the Caps’ recent play-off woes, with second-round exits to the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers in previous years. The seven-time All Star bagged the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy for the seventh time as he led the league in goals scored and his 14 goals in the play-offs may have been the result of post-season frustration being harnessed for good.
But the Capitals also had depth
You couldn’t accuse the Capitals of being a one-man band behind the Great Eight. The Capitals were above average across the rink, with a penalty kill percentage of 80.3% in the regular season, a more-effective powerplay unit than the league average and, in Braden Holtby and Philipp Grubauer, a decent pair between the sticks.
#VegasStrong… but not strong enough
The Golden Knights, the new kids on the block, were 200/1 shots to lift the Stanley Cup at the start of the season, but the expansion team continually upset the odds in their debut season. The #VegasStrong hashtag became a rallying cry after the deadly mass shooting in the city and the team continued to play without the burden of expectation. Hopes were high the fairy tale could be completed with a Stanley Cup win, but the Capitals proved to be too good over five games.
The importance of coming good at the right time
The Capitals came into the playoffs having lost only three times in the last month of the regular season, while the Vegas Golden Knights lost three of their last six games. The Caps also knew how to fight back when they were down. Trailing 3-2 in the Eastern Conference finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Capitals shut out the Atlantic Division champions with 3-0 and 4-0 wins securing their Stanley Cup berth.
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