The difference in the game wasn’t Marc-Andre Fleury, Braden Holtby, or Alex Ovechkin. Instead, it was Vegas’ fourth-line forwards. They scored all three of the Knights’ goals in the third period, which turned a 4-3 Washington lead into a win for the home team.
Ryan Reaves scored a game-tying goal 2:41 into the third, a minute and a half after Tom Wilson put the Capitals in front. Tomas Nosek scored twice after that, including once into an empty net to seal the result for Vegas. Before Nosek’s empty-netter, the Capitals came inches away from tying the game in a six-on-five situation. Wilson set up Lars Eller in front of the Golden Knights’ net, but Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb bothered Eller just enough to get him to fan on the puck and squander a golden scoring chance.
Below: a running chronicle of the game as it unfolded:
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He’d gone to the locker room after a high hit earlier in the period by Washington’s Tom Wilson.
7:25: VGK 5, WAS 4
Braden Holtby’s nicest save of the evening just kept the Capitals in the game. David Perron walked out from behind him and shot high-glove on Holtby, who snared it.
8:57: VGK 5, WAS 4
The goal Vegas just scored to take the lead is largely the fault of Washington winger Devante Smith-Pelly. He let VGK defenseman Shea Theodore have the passing lane that Theodore used to get the puck through a lot of bodies to an open Tomas Nosek.
Vegas’ fourth line has its second goal of the period. Shea Theodore controlled the back and walked it down the left boards, and Tomas Nosek set up just to the right of Braden Holtby. Theodore threaded a pass through traffic, and Nosek one-timed it past Braden Holtby.
That’s two goals on four shots in the period for Vegas. It’s Nosek’s second of the playoffs.
10:32: WAS 4, VGK 4
The Golden Knights’ fourth line — which got a goal earlier in the period off the stick of Ryan Reaves — continues to buzz. Reaves almost just scored his second of the game. On the other end of the ice, Evgeny Kuznetsov almost beat Marc-Andre Fleury on a wraparound.
Marchessault just walked down the tunnel to the Vegas locker room, and NBC’s Pierre McGuire said he’d go into the league’s concussion protocol. That’s a huge loss for Vegas.
Officials settled on putting one player from both teams in the penalty box. Here’s one former NHL official’s view on what should’ve happened to Wilson following that hit:
Ryan Reaves has tied it for Vegas, a minute and a half after Tom Wilson put the Capitals ahead. That’s Reaves’ second goal in as many games, after he scored the game-winner in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. Reaves had four goals in 79 regular-season games this year, including zero in 21 after the Knights traded for him.
Second intermission: Capitals 3, Golden Knights 3
Shots in the second period were 12-7 in the Golden Knights’ favor in the middle period, and they’re 21-15 in that direction for the game. Vegas has maintained an edge in shot attempts overall, but the teams have generated about an even number of scoring chances — 14 apiece at even strength, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Washington’s best line has arguably been its third line of Andre Burakovsky, Lars Eller, and Brett Connolly. In addition to producing the Caps’ first goal back in the first period, that line has had the puck most of the time it’s been on the ice. Washington’s controlled more than 60 percent of the shot attempts while they’ve been on the ice.
The Golden Knights’ best players have been their best players. Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, and Jonathan Marchessault are their top forward line, and they’ve been their top forwards by possession stats, too. Karlsson and Smith have scored two of the Knights’ three goals, and Marchessault has an assist on the board.
Washington has a 28-19 edge in hits, led by seven from Tom Wilson. Ryan Reaves and Luca Sbisa lead the Golden Knights in hits with three apiece.
Second period
Updates denote time remaining in a period, with the most recent first:
The Golden Knights killed off their first penalty of the night. John Carlson put a shot off the post, which would’ve given the Capitals lead if it were a touch lower and to the right. Washington didn’t register a shot on goal in those two minutes.
The Capitals are getting their first power play of the series. The Golden Knights were caught with too many skaters on the ice — seven skaters, so extra too many men.
Washington’s power play has clicked at 29 percent in the playoffs, second-best in the league.
This game has a frenetic pace and feels like it could end 5-4 or 6-5. The Golden Knights have maintained a slight territorial edge at five-on-five, but both teams are coughing up prime scoring chances. That makes it hard to predict where they’re going.
T.J. Oshie just made his second nifty pass of the game to set up an easy goal for a teammate. Reilly Smith lost track of John Carlson, and Oshie gave his teammate a layup with a no-look dish. Marc-Andre Fleury had no chance.
Right before that sequence, Braden Holtby made this save for the Caps:
Ryan Reaves scored a game-tying goal 2:41 into the third, a minute and a half after Tom Wilson put the Capitals in front. Tomas Nosek scored twice after that, including once into an empty net to seal the result for Vegas. Before Nosek’s empty-netter, the Capitals came inches away from tying the game in a six-on-five situation. Wilson set up Lars Eller in front of the Golden Knights’ net, but Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb bothered Eller just enough to get him to fan on the puck and squander a golden scoring chance.
Below: a running chronicle of the game as it unfolded:
See Knights On Ice, Stanley Cup Final bound's other Tweets
Twitter Ads info and privacy
He’d gone to the locker room after a high hit earlier in the period by Washington’s Tom Wilson.
7:25: VGK 5, WAS 4
Braden Holtby’s nicest save of the evening just kept the Capitals in the game. David Perron walked out from behind him and shot high-glove on Holtby, who snared it.
8:57: VGK 5, WAS 4
The goal Vegas just scored to take the lead is largely the fault of Washington winger Devante Smith-Pelly. He let VGK defenseman Shea Theodore have the passing lane that Theodore used to get the puck through a lot of bodies to an open Tomas Nosek.
Vegas’ fourth line has its second goal of the period. Shea Theodore controlled the back and walked it down the left boards, and Tomas Nosek set up just to the right of Braden Holtby. Theodore threaded a pass through traffic, and Nosek one-timed it past Braden Holtby.
That’s two goals on four shots in the period for Vegas. It’s Nosek’s second of the playoffs.
10:32: WAS 4, VGK 4
The Golden Knights’ fourth line — which got a goal earlier in the period off the stick of Ryan Reaves — continues to buzz. Reaves almost just scored his second of the game. On the other end of the ice, Evgeny Kuznetsov almost beat Marc-Andre Fleury on a wraparound.
Marchessault just walked down the tunnel to the Vegas locker room, and NBC’s Pierre McGuire said he’d go into the league’s concussion protocol. That’s a huge loss for Vegas.
Officials settled on putting one player from both teams in the penalty box. Here’s one former NHL official’s view on what should’ve happened to Wilson following that hit:
Ryan Reaves has tied it for Vegas, a minute and a half after Tom Wilson put the Capitals ahead. That’s Reaves’ second goal in as many games, after he scored the game-winner in Game 5 of the Western Conference Final. Reaves had four goals in 79 regular-season games this year, including zero in 21 after the Knights traded for him.
Second intermission: Capitals 3, Golden Knights 3
Shots in the second period were 12-7 in the Golden Knights’ favor in the middle period, and they’re 21-15 in that direction for the game. Vegas has maintained an edge in shot attempts overall, but the teams have generated about an even number of scoring chances — 14 apiece at even strength, according to Natural Stat Trick.
Washington’s best line has arguably been its third line of Andre Burakovsky, Lars Eller, and Brett Connolly. In addition to producing the Caps’ first goal back in the first period, that line has had the puck most of the time it’s been on the ice. Washington’s controlled more than 60 percent of the shot attempts while they’ve been on the ice.
The Golden Knights’ best players have been their best players. Reilly Smith, William Karlsson, and Jonathan Marchessault are their top forward line, and they’ve been their top forwards by possession stats, too. Karlsson and Smith have scored two of the Knights’ three goals, and Marchessault has an assist on the board.
Washington has a 28-19 edge in hits, led by seven from Tom Wilson. Ryan Reaves and Luca Sbisa lead the Golden Knights in hits with three apiece.
Second period
Updates denote time remaining in a period, with the most recent first:
The Golden Knights killed off their first penalty of the night. John Carlson put a shot off the post, which would’ve given the Capitals lead if it were a touch lower and to the right. Washington didn’t register a shot on goal in those two minutes.
The Capitals are getting their first power play of the series. The Golden Knights were caught with too many skaters on the ice — seven skaters, so extra too many men.
Washington’s power play has clicked at 29 percent in the playoffs, second-best in the league.
This game has a frenetic pace and feels like it could end 5-4 or 6-5. The Golden Knights have maintained a slight territorial edge at five-on-five, but both teams are coughing up prime scoring chances. That makes it hard to predict where they’re going.
T.J. Oshie just made his second nifty pass of the game to set up an easy goal for a teammate. Reilly Smith lost track of John Carlson, and Oshie gave his teammate a layup with a no-look dish. Marc-Andre Fleury had no chance.
Right before that sequence, Braden Holtby made this save for the Caps:
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