LAS VEGAS — The Washington Capitals spoiled the Vegas Golden Knights’ playoff party Wednesday, pulling out a split of the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final and handing Vegas only its second loss in nine home playoff games.
Washington winger Alexander Ovechkin scored a power-play goal in the second period, defenseman Brooks Orpik scored his first goal in more than two years, and the Capitals killed a two-man disadvantage in the third period to escape with a 3-2 decision in front of a team-record crowd of 18,702. It was the Capitals’ first Cup Final win in two appearances; they were swept by Detroit in 1998 and lost the opener to Vegas on Monday. Goaltender Braden Holtby preserved the lead with a diving stick save on forward Alex Tuch with 1 minute, 59 seconds left in the third period.
Game 3 will be Saturday in Washington. The Capitals’ home record, though, is 4-5. The Golden Knights are 6-2 on the road.
Fueled by the Golden Knights’ success and the team’s glitzy pregame ceremonies, fans were in a mood to celebrate. However, the Capitals took the momentum away by surging to a 3-1 lead in the second period, and although the Golden Knights cut their deficit to a goal late in that period, they couldn’t catch up. The Golden Knights had won their previous five playoff games, four against Winnipeg in the Western Conference final and the opener against Washington.
The Golden Knights’ formula for success has included scoring first — before Wednesday they were 11-1 when they scored the first goal in a playoff game — and they scored first again in Game 2.
Despite both teams’ predictions that play would feature tighter checking in response to the wide-open and sometimes sloppy play in Game 1, the early action Wednesday featured several scoring chances. Vegas cashed one in at 7:58 with a snipe by James Neal from the left circle. It was an extraordinary shot but he had benefited from a bit of luck before that, when defenseman Dmitry Orlov tried to bat down a pass that had been flipped ahead to Neal but instead knocked it right to the Vegas winger. Luca Sbisa and Colin Miller got the assists on Neal’s fifth postseason goal.
The Capitals lost their leading scorer, Evgeny Kuznetsov, to an apparent arm injury suffered when he absorbed a hip-check from defenseman Brayden McNabb in the neutral zone and he did not return. They still managed to pull even before the first period ended, while the teams were skating four on four.
Michal Kempny made the goal possible with a terrific move that lured goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to move toward the left wide before Kempny passed it to Lars Eller, who had the right half of the net open to deposit the puck at 17:27 and record his sixth playoff goal. Andre Burakovsky got the second assist, well earned for making a cross-ice pass to Kempny while falling to the ice. Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland and Washington forward T.J. Oshie were in the penalty box at the time after each got a minor penalty for roughing for their part in a postwhistle scrum.
Tuch took an offensive-zone penalty early in the second period and the Capitals made him pay. With Tuch in the box for having cross-checked John Carlson, the Capitals moved the puck around quickly and well until Eller found Ovechkin in the Russian winger’s “office,” in the left faceoff circle. Ovechkin, who had been held to an assist in Game 1, was stationed at the lower edge of the circle when he scored his first Cup Final goal, which gave Washington a 2-1 lead at 5:38
Washington extended its lead to 3-1 at 9:41 of the second period, briefly quieting the crowd. Eller set up Orpik for a shot that appeared to deflect off someone on the way to the net before eluding Fleury, producing Orpik’s first goal since Feb. 26, 2016. He had played 181 regular-season games and 39 playoff games without scoring a goal.
Vegas cut Washington’s lead to 3-2 during a late power play in the second period. With Oshie in the box serving a crosschecking penalty, the Golden Knights controlled the puck and got it back to former Ducks defenseman Shea Theodore, whose long wrist shot snaked through traffic and inside the right post at 17:47.
The Golden Knights had a prime chance to pull even or surge ahead after Washington’s Tom Wilson took an interference penalty at 3:13 of the third period and Eller took a hooking penalty at 4:05, giving Vegas a five-on-three power play for 1:09. Washington held firm, led by Holtby’s fine work.
