The stage is set. After their 4-0 thumping of the Tampa Bay Lightning in Wednesday night’s Game 7 showdown, the Washington Capitals have earned the opportunity to dance with the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Final.
Vegas will host the Capitals for Game 1 at T-Mobile Arena on Monday. The full schedule for the Stanley Cup Final was released Monday, which you can view here.
It’s been a long time coming for the Capitals. For the last decade, the Caps have regularly qualified for the postseason, thanks in large part to the always otherworldly play of generational goal-scorer Alex Ovechkin. However, Ovechkin’s Capitals could never advance any further than the conference semifinals.
Until this season, that is.
After taking down the Columbus Blue Jackets in Round 1 and fighting their way past the Pittsburgh Penguins in Round 2, the Caps finally made it to the Eastern Conference Final, only to run over Tampa Bay in a crucial Game 7. And for the first time in his storied career, Ovechkin is finally going to the Stanley Cup Final.
It’s been a running joke amongst many hockey fans that Ovechkin is the Dan Marino of hockey. But now he’s getting his well-deserved shot at hoisting the Cup.
Amazingly enough, he has to get through an expansion team to do so. What a world we live in.