Road to the Stanley Cup Final: Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals

You've heard the story enough by now, but it still bears repeating: the Golden Knights didn't have a roster this time last year. They are the first expansion team in any American "major" professional sport to play for a championship since the 1968 St. Louis Blues, who were placed in a conference along with five other expansion franchises, as the NHL widened its reach beyond the Original Six. Oh, and that year, there were only eight playoff teams. Needless to say, with Vegas going off as a 500-1 shot to win it all before the season, no one expected this.

If expectations were nonexistent in the desert, they were lower than normal in the nation's capital as well. Washington, fresh off yet another playoff gut punch at the hands of the Penguins, entered the season without the kind of fanfare and hype that had accompanied them in previous years. Maybe it was player defections, or maybe it was fatigue from seeing them get beat in previous playoff runs when they seemed to have the best team, but whatever the reason, the Caps flew low under the radar in most expert predictions.

Part of the Golden Knights' challenge was selling hockey to a city of mostly transplants, in a decidedly non-traditional hockey climate. To do that, they needed someone with name recognition, a strong career resume, and the personality to connect with fans. Enter Marc-Andre Fleury. Fresh off helping the Penguins win their second straight Cup, but firmly behind Matt Murray on the depth chart, Fleury was the obvious choice to be both Vegas' first starting goalie, and serve as the de facto face of the franchise. 

Part of the reason for the depressed enthusiasm for the Capitals was the fact that they lost several key contributors. Gone in free agency were Kevin Shattenkirk, Karl Alzner and Justin Williams, and the Capitals traded forward Marcus Johansson to the Devils for draft picks. Though they re-signed T.J. Oshie, and locked up Dmitry Orlov to a long-term extension, the thought was that the Caps, while the biggest names were still around, simply didn't have the same depth of talent that they'd featured in previous seasons.

If you want to laugh, go back and read some of the reactions to Vegas' expansion draft performance. General Manager George McPhee agreed to take draft picks from some teams, in exchange for not selecting some of their unprotected talents. Given what we now know about some of the names that ended up in Vegas as the result of that strategy, the misjudgment of talent by certain franchises seems laugh-out-loud funny in retrospect. Getting Jonathan Marchessault as a gift for taking Reilly Smith's contract off of Florida's hands? Getting William Karlsson from Columbus? It just seems unfair.

Vegas had not yet played an official NHL game at home, but already the Golden Knights were helping the city of Las Vegas heal from the October 1 mass shooting that claimed the lives of 58 concert-goers. The Golden Knights retired the number 58 before their final home game of the season, to honor and remember those who perished in the attack, and Deryk Engelland gave an emotional speech honoring the victims and first responders before the Golden Knights' home opener October 10, one that gave rise to the "Vegas Strong" movement.

The Caps didn't exactly come storming out of the gates in 2017-18. They ended the season's first month with a decidedly mediocre 5-6-1 record, and it seemed like early prognostications of doom and gloom, or at the very least a pretty pedestrian year, were right on the mark. One imagines Barry Trotz not feeling heat, so much as wondering how to kick start his team. 

Vegas' first two weeks as an active franchise were nothing short of shocking. The Golden Knights won their first two games by twin 2-1 scores, dusted the Coyotes 5-2 in their first-ever home game, and after losing to Detroit to fall to 3-1 on the year, ripped off five wins in a row to shock the hockey world. Though they would lose their next three in a row, the Golden Knights had already won eight games, which was nearly the amount some experts predicted they would get for an entire season. There weren't many believers yet, but people were definitely starting to keep an eye on Gerard Gallant's charges.

Just a few days before Thanksgiving, the Capitals were languishing along at 11-10-1 on the year. While the Penguins were also struggling to find their footing, Washington was not taking advantage in the Metropolitan Division. And though Alex Ovechkin had gotten off to a torrid, historic start, scoring seven goals in Washington's first two games, he had only notched six in the 18 games since. Things could have been worse, to be sure, but they also could have been much better for Washington.

It feels almost forgotten now, given the general surreal nature of Vegas' inaugural season, but the Golden Knights had to deal with what probably should have been a major crisis in net when Marc-Andre Fleury was lost for two months after being concussed in the Golden Knights' fourth game of the season. In his stead, Malcolm Subban went 7-2 with a .924 save percentage despite battling injuries of his own, Oscar Dansk went 3-0 with a .946 save percentage before also being injured, and Maxime Legace played the most of Fleury's backups, going 6-6-1 with an .872 save percentage in Fleury's absence. Vegas was 3-1 when Fleury got hurt. They were 19-9-1 when he returned.

If Caps fans were looking for a sign from their team, they got it in a big way, starting right around Thanksgiving. After their aforementioned 11-10-1 start, the Caps ripped off an 18-5-4 stretch to position themselves at 29-15-5 entering the All-Star break. Ovechkin, as usual, led the way, ripping off 17 goals during what would prove to be a pivotal mid-season run. 

That's the question people started to ask, and ask seriously, after a torrid 22-6-3 stretch turned Vegas from 10-7 and a nice early season story to 32-12-4 and the talk of the league at the All-Star break. Given how difficult it can be to make up points in the NHL's current system, the Golden Knights were, even at this juncture, likely to make the playoffs, barring a massive collapse. 

One of Washington's big offseason moves was a contract extension for Evgeny Kuznetsov, and throughout the season, he rewarded their faith, notching career highs in goals and points, and often-times playing like the most dangerous offensive force on the ice — even including Alex Ovechkin. Kuznetsov's steady play all season, coupled with a few particularly sustained runs of excellence in the season's later stages, more than justified his big-money deal.

Given the way their playoff run has gone, and with the sport's biggest prize well within their reach, it might seem like Vegas' playoff-clinching win would be an afterthought, but when the Golden Knights pulled it off on March 26, in front of their home fans, with William Karlsson banging home an empty-netter to seal the victory, and in the process tallying his 40th goal of the season, the sustained roar from the crowd was chill-inducing for even the most jaded sports fan.

Despite winning the Vezina Trophy in 2015-16, and finishing as runner-up in 2016-17, Braden Holtby lost his starting job down the stretch, and despite winning several starts at the end of the season, did not get the nod over Philipp Grubauer to start the postseason. There was plenty of intrigue surrounding Barry Trotz's decision, but in the end, he elected to go with the guy that was pretty obviously playing better. Shots of Holtby sitting impassively on the bench were awkward, to say the least.

On an emotional night that saw the team retire the number 58 jersey to honor the victims of the Las Vegas shooting, the Golden Knights clinched the Pacific Division in their final home game of the season, and did so in style, with William Karlsson scoring a highlight reel, between-the-legs breakaway goal to provide the difference against San Jose. It was a fitting capstone to an emotional regular season that mixed solemn remembrance and spectacular on-ice thrills in equal measure.

A late-season push saw the Capitals finish 49-26-7 and once again prevail as the Metropolitan Division champions. Despite that, Pittsburgh's late-season push, coupled with the Penguins' well-documented mastery over Washington, Columbus and Philadelphia, had many wondering if the Penguins' Metro brethren were trying to avoid a first-round showdown with Pittsburgh. Washington's reward was taking on the Blue Jackets.

Vegas' reward for making the playoffs was a date with the rugged, defense-minded Los Angeles Kings. Many, including yours truly, assumed that their playoff run would be of the one and done variety. Many were wrong. Backed by stellar goaltending from Fleury, including two shutouts and a grand total of three goals allowed in four games, the Golden Knights swept the Kings in a series where every game was decided by one goal. 

The situation was grim for the Capitals after two games against Columbus. Washington was trailing 2-0, and had gone back to Braden Holtby in net after Philipp Grubauer was strafed by Columbus for eight goals in 49 shots over two games. What's more, the losses were at home. Washington faced a series deficit, and the comeback trail started on the road. Holtby and the Caps were up to the task, and Lars Eller's Game 3 winner in double overtime was the spark that turned a 2-0 series deficit into a 4-2 series victory.

The Marc-Andre Fleury train kept right on rolling against the San Jose Sharks, as he shut out San Jose in a lopsided 7-0 Game 1 win, then, after the series was tied at 2, shut the door on them with back-to-back wins, including another shutout in the Game 6 clincher. The story of the year in the NHL and possibly American sports would continue rolling to the Western Conference Finals.

Everyone knew the reality going in. Barry Trotz had never coached a team past the second round of the playoffs in his career. Alex Ovechkin had never made it to a conference final. The Capitals were tortured by the Penguins with enough regularity that it became an almost annual rite of spring. That all changed when Washington rallied from a deflating Game 1 loss to win four of the next five against Pittsburgh, and finally send them packing for good in their own building, as Evgeny Kuznetsov's breakaway overtime winner proved to be the difference in Game 6. Holtby outplayed Matt Murray throughout the series, and at long last, Washington had the answers for everything Pittsburgh threw at them. Oh, and they did all of this despite losing Nicklas Backstrom to injury late in the series. Not bad.

The Golden Knights were going to be underdogs no matter who they faced in the Western Conference Finals, as both Nashville and Winnipeg were seen as powerhouses, and possibly the two best teams in the league. When Winnipeg lit up Fleury for four goals in a Game 1 win, some wondered if Vegas' luck had finally run out. It hadn't. The Golden Knights roared back to win the next four games in a row, and Fleury was magnificent, stopping 129 of 135 shots over the final four games, many of them Grade-A scoring chances. The Jets, like the Sharks and Kings before them, were left wondering what hit them.

After vanquishing the Penguins, it would have made sense if the Capitals had a letdown against the favored Lightning. They did not, racing out to a 2-0 series lead, with a chance to slam the door at home. Unfortunately, Washington lost the next three games in a row, and returned back home for Game 6 with their season on the brink. A very Caps-like ending would have seen them lose Game 6 and disappoint the home fans yet again. Instead, Washington, Holtby especially, responded in a big way. Holtby pitched back-to-back shutouts, and the Capitals delivered arguably their two best performances of the postseason to send the Bolts packing.

Vegas' run to the precipice of history has been fueled by a few different sources. Marc-Andre Fleury has been nothing short of spectacular all year long, and even more so in the playoffs. Beyond Fleury, the list of surprising contributions from lesser-known players is almost endless. Still, one man has risen above the rest with a truly shocking year. William Karlsson, who had never hit double digits in goals as an NHL player, suddenly erupted for 43 this season, including some audacious highlight-reel level tallies. Karlsson's success isn't sustainable, because he also led the league in shooting percentage, but who cares? Goals are goals, and few players in the league had more this season.

Washington was so bad in the post-season, so disappointing, that it almost got sad to watch after repeated failures. They were Charlie Brown, and the Penguins were Lucy. It was a reliable tradition — Washington would enter the playoffs, sometimes as the President's Trophy winner, with championship expectations trailing them. They would exit a few weeks later, heading back to the drawing board, yet not finding any new answers. Beating the Penguins this year, though, seems to have changed things. Suddenly, the Caps are making all the plays. Suddenly, Alex Ovechkin's playoff excellence isn't going unnoticed. Suddenly, Braden Holtby is a brick wall when his team needs it the most. If those trends continue, Washington will be bringing a title back to D.C.

William Karlsson's primary running buddy on the Golden Knights' top line has been Marchessault, who came with lots more pedigree than his counterpart, and his going to Vegas was essentially a thank-you from Florida for Vegas taking Reilly Smith's contract off their hands. Marchessault flourished as a playmaker and finisher, and he and Karlsson gave the Golden Knights a more than viable one-two punch at the top of their lineup.

If Vegas' improbable run is the biggest team storyline in this year's Stanley Cup Final, Alex Ovechkin's pursuit of an elusive Stanley Cup is by far the most significant individual subplot. Ovechkin's career numbers are brilliant, and considering his era, he has a case as the greatest pure goal-scorer in league history. Still, his lack of a title has kept him firmly in Sidney Crosby's shadow. Finally winning one, while still putting up huge numbers, would cement his legacy as one of the league's all-time greats.

Fleury has been so good that at this point, he might win the Conn Smythe Trophy even if the Golden Knights don't take home the Stanley Cup. His .947 save percentage, 1.68 goals against, and four shutouts are all best in the league these playoffs. He is the biggest reason that Vegas has a chance to finish off their incredible run with the ultimate prize. A fourth Cup would cement Fleury as a surefire Hall of Famer, and the circumstances surrounding this particular run would make it one of the most impressive seasons by a goalie in league history. Oh, and he also happens to be one of the genuinely nicest people in sports. Not bad.

With all due respect to Washington, it seems pretty obvious that any neutral fans are going to pull for Vegas in this series. The Capitals have dealt with playoff futility — as sports narratives go, that's about as common as you'll find. The Golden Knights are trying to do something truly historic, truly improbable, as well as something that they'll only get one chance at. Hyperbole is virtually impossible when describing Vegas' run, as it defies belief in just about every way. Vegas isn't Cinderella, though. They're balanced, fast, tough, have enough scoring, and have a goalie playing the best hockey of his life. If they do pull this off, they will be very worthy champions.

Winnipeg and Tampa Bay would have brought with it the possibility of a Stanley Cup Final replete with offensive pyrotechnics, but storylines are what draw eyeballs, and big markets are always better for leagues than smaller ones. Vegas is the best story in sports, the Capitals have a very loyal fan base and represent a big market, and enough Penguins fans are still loyal to Marc-Andre Fleury that the Pittsburgh has actually topped local market ratings even after the Pens' elimination. Short of a Pittsburgh/Vegas final, this is as sexy a match-up as Gary Bettman could have hoped for, and should deliver big time in the entertainment department. Strap in and enjoy, sports fans.