There are moments that define every Stanley Cup Final for the team that gets to hoist Lord Stanley’s mug.
In Game 2, it was Braden Holtby’s paddle save. In Game 3, it was Evgeny Kuznetsov’s one-goal, one-assist performance after being a question mark heading into the game with an undisclosed injury.
But Game 4’s defining moment had nothing to do with the Washington Capitals at all, at least not initially.
With the Washington Capitals taking a 3-1 series lead in the best-of-7 back to Vegas after a 6-2 win on Monday, it was James Neal’s first-period gaffe on a wide-open net that might haunt the expansion Golden Knights for a while to come.
The miss rattled the Capitals to attention and the ensuing a three-goal outburst by Washington only illuminated further the magnitude of Neal’s near-miss.
T.J. Oshie got things started on the power play, Tom Wilson made it worse and Devante Smith-Pelly twisted the dagger on a bad turnover as the Capitals took a 3-0 lead into the first intermission.
Vegas never recovered.
They struck iron three times in the first period and heard that familiar ‘ping’ sound twice more in the second frame.
John Carlson hit a post, too, only his shot caromed off the inside of it and hit mesh not long after to make it 4-0 as Washington’s lethal power play kept its reign of destruction (they’re 4-for-12 in the series now after going 3-for-5 in Game 4). Washington has 20 goals on the power play in the playoffs.
Evgeny Kuznetsov provided the cross-ice pass to Carlson, giving him a hat-trick of assists in the game and his 30th point of the playoffs. Kuznetsov added another late in the game for a four-point night.
Did someone say Conn Smythe?
That trophy could be in the hands of Kuznetsov as early as Thursday night (although let’s not kid ourselves -- it’s probably going to be given to Alex Ovechkin) in Vegas as the series shifts back to Nevada for Game 5.
Vegas managed to find two goals (Neal with a hint of redemption and Reilly Smith found twine, too) in the third period, but it was all just a little too late.
If there was hope of a comeback, it was ripped apart by Michal Kempny’s one-timer with just over six minutes left to make it 5-2 and then cemented by Brett Connolly’s 6-2 marker as Washington enjoyed a two-man advantage.
For Vegas, it’s win or bust now. Everything that got them this far seems to have fled the vicinity.
Marc-Andre Fleury continues to struggle, putting up his fourth consecutive sub-.800 save percentage performance. Vegas’ treasure trove of goals has imploded and their speed has run out of gas.
Vegas scored six goals in Game 1 but has just five in the three games that followed.
And they now own the most daunting of tasks: win three in a row.
The math isn’t good.
Stanley Cup Final schedule
Game 1 Monday, May 28 – Golden Knights 6, Capitals 4
Game 2 Wednesday, May 30 – Capitals 3, Golden Knights 2
Game 3 Saturday, June 2 – Capitals 3, Golden Knights 1
Game 4 Monday, June 4 – Capitals 6, Golden Knights 2 (Washington leads series 3-1)
Game 5 Thursday, June 7 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 6* Sunday, June 10 – Golden Knights at Capitals, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
Game 7* Wednesday, June 13 – Capitals at Golden Knights, 8 p.m. ET (NBC)
* = If necessary
MORE:
• NBC’s Stanley Cup Playoff Hub
• Stanley Cup Final Guide
Scott Billeck is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @scottbilleck
