Vegas Golden Knights: Three Stanley Cup Final Predictions
The Vegas Golden Knights VS Washington Capitals will be a Stanley Cup Final to remember.
Here we are, we’re down to the final two teams left standing in the NHL. The Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals will duke it out for hockey’s holy grail, Lord Stanley’s Cup. Both teams took very different routes to make it to this point today.
Washington had to overcome years of heartbreak after losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins and New York Rangers on multiple occasions. Years of constantly always trying to improve the team at the trade deadline went to waste. However, the front office stood by this club and decided not to make any moves, and it turned out to be the greatest thing that ever happened to the team. The Capitals overcame a 0-2 deficit to beat the Columbus Blue Jackets in six games, exercised the demons against Pittsburgh and wiped out the Eastern Conferences best team in the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Meanwhile, Vegas had to adapt to the NHL lifestyle as a team that never came together before. They came in first in the Pacific division and rolled off victories against the rival Los Angeles Kings and San Jose Sharks. Additionally, the expansion franchise took out the offensive juggernaut Winnipeg Jets in five games to claim the Western Conference prize. Here are three predictions ahead of the Stanley Cup Final:
3) James Neal will have a big series against the Capitals
An expiring contract that has a chance to create a significant impact in this series and win a Stanley Cup? That sure seems like a pretty good formula to me. James Neal is a player that’s ready to break out at the right time.
Neal played a ton against these Capitals for much of his time when he was a Pittsburgh Penguin. Sure, he knows that team has changed since he moved to Nashville and now Las Vegas. However, in 20 career games played against Washington, he has scored ten goals, five assists, and 15 points.
Not a bad success rate for the Whitby, Ontario native. The 30-year old has shown signs of starting to come alive in the postseason. He scored a big response goal in game three of the Western Conference Finals against the Jets.
The team needs more consistent production from the second line, and the leader of that trio is Neal. Alex Tuch and Erik Haula have done a great job with Neal thus far in the postseason, but they all need to step up their game if they want to win the Stanley Cup. And with Neal in his contract year, he could cash in on free agency if he has a big Final.
2) Both goaltenders will have an excellent Stanley Cup Final
Everyone has seen what kind of mission Marc-Andre Fleury has been on this year. But what he’s doing in the postseason is incredible. The three-time Stanley Cup champion isn’t slowing down anytime soon, but neither as Braden Holtby.
Ever since being benched the first two games of the Stanley Cup playoffs, the Lloydminster, Saskatchewan native has been incredible for the Capitals. In 18 postseason games, Holtby is 12-6 with a 2.04 GAA and a .924 SV%. The 28-year old has kept the Caps in every single game of the first three rounds of the playoffs. It’s also very rare to see Holtby ever give up a soft goal.
As for Fleury, he has been everything the Golden Knights have asked for and then some. But in case you’ve been living under a rock, he has sported a 12-3 record with a GAA of 1.68 and a .947 SV%. Those numbers are certainly Conn Smythe trophy worthy even if he loses in the Final.
These goalies traded wins off one another in last years postseason when Fleury was in Pittsburgh. Fleury came out on top in game seven of that second-round series last year when he shut out the Caps in Washington. Don’t be surprised if there are some 1-0 and 2-1 games, that’s how good these goaltenders are.
3) Vegas Golden Knights will defeat the Washington Capitals in seven games
This series is going to be a tough one to call. Two teams of destiny fighting for the chance of lifting the Stanley Cup. But in the end, I think the storybook season of the Vegas Golden Knights ends happily.
The series could go the other way, but the role of the bottom half of the Golden Knights roster will allow them to prevail over the Caps. Having David Perron play in the bottom six gives Vegas balanced offense throughout the lineup. Cody Eakin and Ryan Carpenter are also playing the best hockey of their careers on the Golden Knights third line as well.
Not to mention, Tomas Tatar, Oscar Lindberg, and William Carrier are always waiting in the wings in case of injury. The Golden Knights depth has been their biggest strength all season long and its coming true in the postseason. If Golden Knights Head Coach Gerard Gallant feels the need to make a change to his lineup, he’ll do it. Every time Gallant makes a switch to his lineup, it always seems to work out in his favor.
Furthermore, special teams could play a huge role in this series as well. The Golden Knights need to stay out of the box and keep away from the Capitals potent power play unit. As for the Vegas power play, they need to improve in this series if they want to pose a threat to the Caps. The Golden Knights scored just two power-play goals in five games against the Jets.
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All in all, here’s how I see the series playing out: The Golden Knights will win game six in Washington and force a game seven back in Las Vegas. Former Capital Nate Schmidt will score the game-winning goal in a 4-3 win at T-Mobile Arena leading to Deryk Engelland hoisting the Stanley Cup. How do you see the Stanley Cup Final playing out?