Washington Capitals

Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals is just a few hours away, and fans in D.C. have rolled out in droves for the first home Final game since 1998. The Stanley Cup toured the city on Friday, and supporters flocked to see the trophy up close.

The Capitals have received permission from the NHL to showcase the game outside of Capital One Arena, which will take what should be an already rowdy environment to the next level. Whichever team wins Game 3 will take a 2-1 series lead and see its odds of winning the series spike to nearly 70 percent, so there's a lot on the line even though this isn't an elimination contest.

The game seems ripe for larger-than-life, signature moments from the likes of Alex Ovechkin, Marc-Andre Fleury, Braden Holtby and Jonathan Marchessault, and hockey fans are going to want to tune in to watch it all unfold.

Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Schedule

When: Saturday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET

Television: NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS

Stream: Hulu, NBC Sports Live, NBC Sports App

      

Updated Odds for Game 3

Vegas: +111 (bet $100 to win $111)

Washington: -123 (bet $123 to win $100)

Odds according to OddsShark and are accurate as of 9 p.m. ET on June 1

Predictions for Game 3

It's tough to bet against either of these two teams. Both the Golden Knights and Capitals have been remarkably resilient over the last several weeks, and both squads are backstopped by netminders who can steal games.

Vegas will have its hands full with a Washington team that will be amped to play in front of a home crowd that has been waiting for this moment since Ovechkin first hit the ice for them back in 2005. It's taken a decade-plus of careful and sometimes painful team building, but the Capitals finally have a shot at winning hockey's ultimate prize.

It's tough to shake the feeling they stole Game 2, however. They survived the second and third periods rather than dominated, and if not for a heroic save by Holtby in the final frame, Washington could well be down 2-0 instead of tied at 1-1.

If Vegas can continue to apply pressure in Game 3 like it did in the final two periods of Game 2, then it'll have a good chance of securing a victory. The Golden Knights had 55.56 percent of the scoring chances in the second period and a whopping 58.33 percent in the third, according to NaturalStatTrick.com.

🎥 Coach Gallant: You lose one game, you don't hit the panic button. You get ready to play the next one. pic.twitter.com/DS8KccqdmY

— y-Vegas Golden Knights (@GoldenKnights) June 1, 2018

Score effects came into play, of course, but the Capitals were clearly on their heels for much of the contest. They made the most of their limited opportunities, though, and there's something to be said for the unlikely yet clutch goal Brooks Orpik scored with just over 10 minutes left to play in the third period.

The romantic outcome would be a Capitals win, perhaps even on a dramatic last-minute shot from someone like Ovechkin or Nicklas Backstrom.

Yet the Golden Knights have played like a team of destiny all season long, and Fleury is due for a bounce-back game. It's also unlikely that Holtby will have another miracle save up his sleeve to pull his team's skates out of the fire.

The Golden Knights will eke this one out, essentially making Game 4 must-win for the Capitals. 

On Saturday, a 14-year journey will culminate for the Washington Capitals. Since the organization drafted Alex Ovechkin in 2004, it has been digging and playing for a shot at the Stanley Cup Final. For almost a decade and a half, the Caps failed to live up to those lofty expectations.

Now, for the first time since the Ovechkin Era began, the Capitals will play a home Stanley Cup Final game—the first in D.C. since 1998—and Capital One Arena will be packed to the brim with hungry, rowdy fans on Saturday night.

The goal is still to win the Stanley Cup, but don't overlook just how important this moment is to the Great Eight and his legacy. Despite having a reputation for only being a goal scorer, Ovechkin has seemingly carried the Capitals on his back for stretches of his career, and it's all been to arrive at this opportunity.

However, the Vegas Golden Knights have plenty of motivation to play spoiler—a role they have happily taken on for just about every second of their existence—but they will have their hands full Saturday night.

        

Stanley Cup Final Game 3 Schedule

When: Saturday, June 2 at 8 p.m. ET

Television: NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS

Stream: Hulu, NBC Sports Live, NBC Sports App

          

Updated Odds for Game 3

Vegas: +111 (bet $100 to win $111)

Washington: -123 (bet $123 to win $100)

Odds according to OddsShark.com and are accurate as of 8 a.m. ET on June 1

      

Game 3 Preview

The Stanley Cup Final looked like it was going to be a goaltending dual ahead of Game 1. Braden Holtby and Marc-Andre Fleury had been mostly stellar through the first three rounds, leading to the assumption that goals would be hard to come by in this series.

But the offense came in bunches in Game 1 and Game 2, with 14 different players finding the back of the net in Las Vegas. Only Tomas Nosek has more than one goal in the Final, and the tallies have been coming from varied and unexpected places.

After all, Brooks Orpik scored the game-winner in Game 2. This is the same Brooks Orpik who has a total of 16 goals across 982 regular-season contests and who hadn't scored since February...of 2016.

Yet there he was with his arms held high with just over 10 minutes to play in the third period of Game 2.

It's already been a series chock-full of surprises, and with this cast of characters, don't expect that to change as things shift to D.C. While the goals will likely continue coming from the most unforeseen of sticks, there are a few keys to keep an eye on ahead of Game 3.

Namely the health of Capitals center Evgeny Kuznetsov. The pivot was injured in the first period of Game 2 and wasn't able to return. In usual NHL playoff form, all we know about the injury is which half of the body it's affecting.

Kuznetsov is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury and is questionable for Game 3, according to a report from NHL.com. On Thursday during a conference call, Capitals head coach Barry Trotz said "I don't have any updates for you" regarding the 26-year-old's status.

While Washington's top six can survive losing the leading scorer of the playoffs—Nicklas Backstrom is a perfectly capable No. 1 center and Lars Eller is serviceable on the second line—the third and fourth units will take hefty hits.

I’m guessing but I think this is what’s happening with Kuznetsov right now. pic.twitter.com/BVAgsGVFqJ

— Neil Greenberg (@ngreenberg) May 31, 2018

With the way the Final has been going, depth scoring will continue to be key, and losing the one-two punch of Kuznetsov and Backstrom could be devastating.

The Capitals have dealt with these kinds of injuries as recently as the second round, and they will have tons of energy to feed off of because of the home crowd advantage. But the former first-round pick has been a key member of Washington's postseason drive.

Fleury is also due for a bounce-back game after giving up three goals on 26 shots in Game 2. He's yet to drop back-to-back games in these playoffs, so perhaps he's set to see that change, but the Flower has been outstanding for the Golden Knights all year. He's as cool and collected as they come and will likely bring his A-game to Washington.

Something has got to give, though, and Game 3 will be worth watching to see what that something turns out to be. 

Washington Capitals owner Ted Leonsis flew 200 Monumental Sports & Entertainment employees to Las Vegas for Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Las Vegas Knights and put them up in the Excalibur for one night, according to Scott Allen of the Washington Post.

Half of the group traveled to Vegas on Monday, and the other 100 made the trip on Wednesday.

"I just stopped dead in my tracks, I was so excited," Lorin Hranicka, Monumental's director of suite client services, told Allen. "Just being in the Stanley Cup finals is absolutely amazing. I can't even explain the feeling."

"It's truly amazing and out of this world," Omar Castro, a guest relations manager, added. "I never expected an owner of the company to do this. We get to share in this with them. ... He's thinking of us as part of a family, as part of the experience."  

Alex Ovechkin is set to compete in his first-ever Stanley Cup final, but despite some possible nerves, he still has his sense of humor.

Speaking at a press conference Sunday, the Washington Capitals star deadpanned that he had received some well wishes from Russian President Vladimir Putin:

WATCH - "Well you know Putin called me and wished me luck"

Alex Ovechkin steals the show at Media Day...delivering the biggest laugh of the day!@ABC7News @KgriggsPhoto @ABC7Erin pic.twitter.com/OmqvAcFBSb

— Scott Abraham (@Scott7news) May 28, 2018

After a brief silence from the audience, Ovechkin clarified that he was joking.

The Russian has stood in support of Putin in the past, but this was apparently just a little humor at the expense of the local media.

Washington is going for its first Stanley Cup title in franchise history against the Vegas Golden Knights, beginning with Game 1 on Monday.

The public transportation system in Washington, D.C., normally only runs until 11:30 p.m. ET on weeknights, posing a potential problem for fans leaving Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Final between the Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday night, which doesn't begin until 8 p.m. ET at Capital One Arena.

But thanks to Qatar, fans won't have to worry about getting home.

According to Scott Allen and Matt Bonesteel of the Washington Post: "On Tuesday, [D.C. Council member Jack] Evans told the Washington Post that the tiny, wealthy nation of Qatar has agreed to pay the $100,000 fee to keep [the] Metro open until 12:30 a.m. on Thursday."

Exelon and Pepco had already chipped in to delay the Metro's closing time by an hour for Tuesday night's Game 3.

Per that report, "Evans led a delegation of D.C. government officials and private business representatives to Qatar and the United Arab Emirates last April in hopes of getting foreign investors interested D.C. projects."

The visit apparently worked.

The country has invested in development projects in the District in the past, and apparently, the Capitals vs. Lightning was another D.C. project Qatar could get behind.    

Amanda Wilson, a Washington Capitals fan who is receiving cancer treatment, will be in attendance at Capital One Arena on Tuesday night for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Per Scott Allen of the Washington Post, Wilson is traveling from her home in Rochester, New York to Washington D.C. for the game after receiving permission to travel from her doctors.

Jenny DeFalco, who served as the maid of honor at Wilson's wedding, organized the trip.

"She's the biggest Caps fan that I knew growing up, and she's absolutely the reason we even have these tickets," DeFalco told Allen.

The Capitals enter Tuesday's game with a 2-0 series lead over the Lightning. They are seeking their first appearance in the Stanley Cup Final since the 1997-98 season.

Washington Capitals center Nicklas Backstrom will miss Monday's Game 6 matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins after suffering an upper body injury.

Backstrom, 30, seemed to suffer a hand injury in Game 5 when blocking a Justin Schultz shot. Coach Barry Trotz had previously told reporters he expected Backstrom to play.

Third-line center Lars Eller will be moved up to the second line as a result of Backstrom's absence. Travis Boyd will move up to the third line.

The Capitals hold a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven series heading into Game 6. They're looking to unseat the two-time defending champions and overcome their own postseason demons. Washington has been eliminated by Pittsburgh each of the last two seasons.

Backstrom scored five points through the first five games, including a three-assist effort in Game 3. He finished with 71 points during the regular season.

Washington Capitals forward Tom Wilson has been suspended three games by the NHL for an illegal hit against Pittsburgh Penguins forward Zach Aston-Reese in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinals. 

Per the NHL Department of Player Safety, Wilson received the suspension for illegally checking Aston-Reese in the head during Tuesday's game.

The play occurred midway through the second period, when the Penguins were bringing the puck back up the ice from their own end. As the Capitals made a line change, Wilson lowered his shoulder and launched his body up and off the ice as he made contact with Aston-Reese, as NHL's official video review shows.

After the game, Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan revealed Aston-Reese suffered a broken jaw and concussion as a result of the play. The officials on the ice didn't call a penalty on Wilson for the hit. 

Wilson had a career year for the Capitals during the regular season, with 14 goals, 21 assists and 35 points. He scored four points in the first three games of the series against the Penguins. 

Washington took a 2-1 series lead over the Penguins on Tuesday with a 4-3 victory in Game 3.

Washington Capitals superstar Alex Ovechkin scored the 600th goal of his career on Monday night against the Winnipeg Jets, joining elite company in the process. 

4TH PLAYER EVER TO 600 GOALS IN UNDER 1,000 GAMES! #600VI pic.twitter.com/zC15pXkORd

— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) March 13, 2018

According to ESPN Stats & Info, "Ovechkin is the sixth player in NHL history to score 600 career goals with one franchise, joining Gordie Howe, Steve Yzerman, Mario Lemieux, Joe Sakic and Bobby Hull."

The players to reach the 600-goal milestone in fewer than 1,000 games now includes Wayne Gretzky (718 games), Mario Lemieux (719), Brett Hull (900) and Ovechkin (990), according to Tom Gulitti of NHL.com.

Ovechkin, 32, is also the third-youngest player in NHL history to reach the achievement, with only Gretzky and Lemieux doing so at a younger age, per Greg Wyshynski of ESPN.com.

Just 20 players in NHL history have scored 600 goals in their careers. Ovechkin is now within striking distance of Jari Kurri (601 goals), Dino Ciccarelli (608), Bobby Hull (610), and Joe Sakic and Jarome Iginla (tied at 625) on the all-time list.

The goal was also Ovechkin's 42nd of the season, tops in the NHL, though don't expect him to be satisfied.

"I just have to put the puck in and do my job," he said after reaching 40 goals on March 3, per Wyshynski. "Forty is nice, but 50 is better."

Ovechkin's scintillating play has made the Capitals Stanley Cup contenders once again. The Capitals came into Monday's game just a point behind the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Metropolitan standings and only two points ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers as the regular season heads into the stretch run.

Reaching the 600-goal milestone would be all the more sweeter for Ovechkin if he accomplished it in the season he also added a Stanley Cup title to his legacy.

Washington Capitals forward Devante Smith-Pelly called racial comments made by fans during Saturday night's game against the Chicago Blackhawks "sad" and "disgusting."

"We've talked about this before," Smith-Pelly told reporters. "It's happened in hockey before. It's happened to people we personally know. We've had the conversation. It's just a few ignorant people being idiots. That's it. ... [My father] just said it's a few idiots being ignorant."

Smith-Pelly, 25, got into an altercation with fans, who grabbed his stick and shouted "basketball, basketball, basketball!" at him, per ESPN. The fans were removed from Chicago's United Center.

"It's disgusting. It's sad that in 2018 we're still talking about the same thing, over and over," Smith-Pelly said. "It's sad that athletes like myself 30, 40 years ago were standing in the same spot saying the same thing. You'd think there'd be some sort of change or progression, but we're still working toward it, I guess, and we're going to keep working toward it."

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman said the league supports the team's decision to remove the fans.

"The League fully supports the actions taken by the United Center and the Blackhawks to eject the offenders and would expect the same response to any similarly unacceptable behavior at any of our arenas," the statement said.