ARLINGTON, Va. – Alex Ovechkin is about to have the biggest summer of his life.

He just won the Stanley Cup for the first time, his first child is due this summer, and the FIFA World Cup is kicking off in Russia June 14.

“I wanna go so bad,” he said. “I have to wait.”

First, though, he has to go to Las Vegas for the NHL Awards. After that, Ovechkin and wife Nastya will spend a month in Russia before returning to prepare for the birth of their child. Somewhere in between all of that, Ovechkin will have his day with the Cup.

“I want to bring the Stanley Cup to my house, to my family back home to share,” Ovechkin said. “My grandma, she will touch it. She will kiss it. It’s something special. You never thought how cool it is.”

The Washington Capitals captain showed up to the team’s last availability of the year clean shaven, his bushy beard streaked with a little grey completely gone. He looked almost boyish. His sponsors from Gillette had come to his house at 9 a.m. to film him shaving it, he said.

Ovechkin held court with reporters on Wednesday for more than 25 minutes. When a team public relations person came to fetch him, he said, “That’s it? I can talk more.”

It was different from the Ovechkin who usually shied away from long scrums. He might have gone on all day if the Capitals didn’t have a schedule to keep.

He told stories about the time Igor Larionov brought the Cup to Russia - the first time that had ever been done - after winning it with the Red Wings in 1997.

“I remember the moment when Igor Larionov came to our locker room and he showed us how he practices, how he enjoy the moment to be in the NHL and be a Stanley Cup champion,” Ovechkin said. “It was something special. One day, I wanted to be in his position to raise the Cup and in the future I will share this moment with some kids.”

When his day with the Cup comes, he’ll bring it to the hockey school in Dynamo where he learned how to play and spend some time with the children there. The accompanying party promises to be a grand event.

“It’s going to be pretty big,” he said. “I’m going to share it with my family, with my friends, with the people who want to see it. I’m going to share it with all the people who I know, people who I don’t know. But I’m just going to share my moment with them because lots of fans who didn’t see it, never touched it.”

It’s been just under a week since he first lifted the Cup, and he hasn’t let go of it much since then. It still feels like a dream.

“It’s crazy,” Ovechkin said. “I’m pretty sure it’s still going to be going for a week or two. But I still can’t believe we won. I still can’t believe we did it. Of course, you have dreams about it, but this is something unbelievable. Even today when me and my wife were with the Cup, like, ‘Is it real or is it a dream?’ It’s real. We won.”

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(Warning: Story contains coarse language)

WASHINGTON – For the last four days, the Washington Capitals have celebrated their Stanley Cup win by partying all over D.C. The festivities continued with one of the biggest events in the city in maybe 25 years (presidential inaugurations aside) - their championship parade.

Beginning just after 11 a.m. Tuesday, the parade wound its way down 23rd Street to Constitution Avenue, where people were packed 10 deep in spots, past a crowd packed 20 deep on the steps of the National Archives building, and eventually coming to the National Mall, where thousands of fans were waiting. Framed by the U.S. Capitol and the Washington Monument, a sea of red almost stretched to both landmarks.

Braden Holtby won't forget it.

"I want to thank everyone for coming out here. Being on those buses, you guys are yelling 'thank you' to us," the goaltender said. "I want to say thank you to you guys because every time I drive on Constitution for the rest of my life, I'm gonna remember this day and how amazing it was, and it's all because of you guys."

Those people waited a long time for what they saw Tuesday - some since 1974, others since 1992, the last time a D.C.-based team won anything. The team waited a long time, too: 14 years for Alex Ovechkin; 11 for Nicklas Backstrom; 19 years for head coach Barry Trotz.

And though it might have come a bit later in their careers than they would have liked, they couldn’t have asked for a better day - not a cloud in the sky, 78 degrees, and a light breeze that seemed to kick up at just the right time.

After the buses unloaded their passengers at the end of the parade, the players, team staff, management, and owners took the stage.

The Prince of Wales Trophy, the Conn Smythe Trophy, and the Stanley Cup were placed at the forefront. A few players made speeches. Almost everyone who spoke commented on the fan support throughout the season and the playoffs and the turnout for the parade and rally. Some of them, of course, chugged beers.

"I'll tell you what, going through these streets, seeing how many people that are out here, how many people came out to support us, how many people supported us since the beginning when apparently we weren't supposed to be very good this year," forward T.J. Oshie said.

Ovechkin was impressed too.

"Look at the people that's here," he said. "We thought it was going to be crazy, but it's basically nuts. You guys are killing it."

After apologizing for the hoarseness of his voice, Backstrom joked that the Capitals finally started playing hockey the same way they can party. Later, he was asked if he'd had enough of celebrating.

"It just started," the veteran center said.

He's right. Every player still gets to have their day with the Cup, and training camp is nearly three months away. They’re just getting started.

And though the championship win is still fresh, Oshie hinted at what he and this teammates might be thinking next season.

"There's been a lot of chants. There's been 'Let's Go Caps,' there's been 'We Want the Cup,' we've heard in the streets 'We've Got the Cup.' We've got a new one for you today: 'Back to back,'" he said. He led that chant for a few moments before Ovechkin took over.

The superstar, obviously in his element, said his thank-yous and then led the ocean of people in singing his new favorite song, "We Are the Champions."

Then Ovechkin came back to the mic.

"I said - not me say it, it was just us saying, 'WE'RE NOT GOING TO BE FUCKING SUCK THIS YEAR!' WE'RE THE STANLEY CUP CHAMPIONS! YEAH!"

Party on, Capitals.

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WASHINGTON – Asked if he’d given winning the Conn Smythe Trophy any thought, Evgeny Kuznetsov shook his head and grinned. Not a chance.

He’ll take a Stanley Cup victory, though.

The Washington Capitals routed the Vegas Golden Knights 6-2 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday to take a commanding 3-1 lead. They’ll have a chance to claim their first championship in the franchise’s 43-year history on Thursday in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena.

Kuznetsov hasn’t thought that far ahead, either.

"I never been there, you know? And I don't really care about that yet, so it's kind of easy for me," Kuznetsov said. "You know me, I always stay loose a little bit especially off the games. I'm pretty sure when game gonna come, we're gonna a little bit think about it. It's pretty hard to not think about that."

A front-runner for the Conn Smythe, Kuznetsov assisted on four of Washington’s six goals in Game 4 and has 31 points in 23 games. And while he has 12 goals this postseason, he’s just fine with getting the assists, too.

"He has a huge effect on every game," linemate Tom Wilson said. "It’s not easy to be a star in the league, have to bring it every night. It’s the wear and tear, you’re playing big minutes. He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t care. He just keeps going."

Vegas came out swinging in the early parts of Game 4, but James Neal hitting the post on a wide-open net in the first period underscored their frustration. The Capitals led 3-0 by the end of the opening stanza.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

"I’ve been on the other side of that and it’s deflating," Capitals defenseman Brett Connolly said of Neal’s miss. "They played well early. They came at us and they’re not gonna stop."

Neal and Reilly Smith scored in the third to narrow the deficit to 4-2, but the Capitals responded with two more goals to send the Golden Knights’ Cinderella season to the brink of a heartbreaking end.

"It could have been a different hockey game if they scored on their power play so we got a little lucky there and I don’t know maybe it shouldn’t have been a 3-0 lead after the first, but you know we will take it," Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom said. "We are not going to feel sorry for them."

The third period was punctuated by "We Want the Cup" chants from the crowd at Capital One Arena. Outside, streets were filled with thousands of fans chanting the same thing. Kuznetsov said the players heard that and fed off it, too.

"That's always emotional stuff and give us a lot of positive energy," Kuznetsov said. "But we feel their energy. I don't want to lie. Sometimes you feel when people cheering against you, you feel the energy too. In this playoff we're not very good at home, but in this series we keep the crowd happy. That's big thing for us."

What the Capitals did in Game 4, and what they’ll have to do in Game 5, is the same thing they’ve done this entire postseason - show up when it matters most.

"When it mattered we were able to get it done," coach Barry Trotz said. "And that’s what this team has done over the course of the playoffs. Even when we’re maybe not at our best we’ve been able to get it done and when it mattered we’ve been able to get it complete."

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ARLINGTON, Va. – In a season of firsts, the Vegas Golden Knights are faced with another heading into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

They’ve lost two games in a row for the first time this postseason and are down 2-1 in their best-of-seven series with the Washington Capitals. It’s just the second time they’ve trailed a playoff series, after losing Game 1 of the Western Conference Final to the Winnipeg Jets.

"It's not something we're not used to," winger David Perron said. "We had a lot of media thinking we'd get run over the entire series against them. We find a way to win four in a row, win in five. We're in a familiar situation with a lot of doubters. It's fine with us. We have to step up and play the right way."

Defenseman Luca Sbisa said the Golden Knights have handled adversity before, and that the self-belief is still there. But after sweeping the Los Angeles Kings, beating the San Jose Sharks in six games, and handling Winnipeg in five, adversity has been scarce for Vegas in its inaugural season.

But the Golden Knights are facing plenty of it now, sitting just two losses away from watching the Capitals win the Stanley Cup - and ending their Cinderella season in the process.

"We've got to step up our game," head coach Gerard Gallant said. "In the three games, we haven't been good enough. And if we don't step up our game, the same result is going to happen (Monday) night. We'll see what we're made of."

Alex Ovechkin set the tone for Game 3 by scoring in his first Stanley Cup Final home game. Evgeny Kuznetsov and Devante Smith-Pelly also scored for the Capitals, who have rolled four lines far more effectively than the Golden Knights. Tomas Nosek, who had the Game 1 winner, scored off a Braden Holtby turnover in Game 3, but Vegas' depth has been otherwise absent.

The Golden Knights have so far been unable to answer Washington’s attack and find a solution to its stifling neutral-zone pressure.

"We’ve just got to get back to our game, getting pucks deep and getting in on the forecheck," veteran defenseman Deryk Engelland said. "It’s been our key all season long, is the five-man forecheck and five-guy pressure all over the ice. We do it for a little bit at a time and then I think we try to be too cute at times and they thrive on the turnovers."

The Knights didn’t practice Sunday ahead of Game 4, but Gallant said he’d consider making some changes to the lineup, which hasn’t changed all that much during the playoffs. He has tweaked his fourth line and pushed the right buttons with Nosek, Ryan Reaves, and Tomas Tatar.

The top line of Jonathan Marchessault, Reilly Smith, and William Karlsson has been a constant but faces plenty of pressure after being silenced in Game 3.

"I think they’re working hard," forward Ryan Carpenter said. "The pucks didn’t go in for them last game but I don’t know, just bounces. We can’t just look to them to lead us. we’ve got to find a way as depth lines to produce and get some offense."

Gallant could make some tweaks, but he's not going to overhaul his philosophy after guiding the Golden Knights this far.

"You have to lose four games before you lose the Stanley Cup and we're far from out of it," he said.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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WASHINGTON – Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals have traversed their share of uncharted territory this postseason - none more significant than playing a Stanley Cup Final game in D.C. for the first time in two decades.

It only made sense that Ovechkin, the face of the franchise, would score the opening goal.

“He’s very passionate, as everyone knows,” coach Barry Trotz said following Washington's 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. “It was the right thing in a playoff game, the first victory in the final, that Alex scores the first goal. Some poetic justice, if you will."

Ovechkin has always played the game with abandon, but since vanquishing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round, freed from the failures and expectations of the past, he’s almost looked lighter, unburdened.

He scored 1:10 into the second period of the first June hockey game played in the nation’s capital since 1998, setting the tone for a decisive Game 3 win that gave the Caps a 2-1 series lead. Ovechkin threw the puck past Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury as he tripped over Brayden McNabb and after Fleury was unable to control John Carlson’s point blast.

“He was possessed out there,” Carlson said. “That’s a good way to put it, I think. He’s playing with passion and energy and joy and he’s a one-man wrecking crew. How committed he is. It’s the best he’s played in my opinion.”

It’s hard to argue with that. Ovechkin’s 14 goals are tied with John Druce for the most in franchise history in a single postseason. By the end of the game, Ovechkin had 13 shot attempts and five shots on goal. When he didn’t have the puck, he was trying to get it back. He was throwing hits and blocking shots. Nothing different, really, from what he’s done throughout the course of the Capitals’ improbable run to the final.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

“I feel like Ovi always has about 10 shots on goal halfway through the game, or he has the attempts at least,” center Lars Eller said. “He was pumped up. Everybody was pumped up today. I’m not surprised he scores a goal. He always wants to score, badly. I haven’t seen a different Ovi today than I have lately. He’s been on. But he always shows a lot of emotion at home, and that’s right.”

When Evgeny Kuznetsov scored 11:40 later on an odd-man rush to put Washington up 2-0, the reaction from the bench was instant. Ovechkin thrusted his hands in the air, threw his head back, and screamed. Eller embraced him.

“It's just automatic,” Ovechkin said. “You just get excited. If Holts makes a huge save you can just see the whole bench jump and get excited. It's huge moments for us. You just want to give emotion to your teammates and to yourself as well.”

Ovechkin’s “hot-stick” celebrations seem like a lifetime ago, but he’s never shied away from expressing his joy, for himself or his teammates, whether on the ice or on the bench. The Ovechkin who's finally getting to play in a Cup final is the same one he’s always been - everyone’s just paying attention now.

“He’s on another level,” Eller said. “Everyone kind of reacts to stuff differently and he’s always been that brash celebrator. It’s great to see and he’s as engaged as anyone could ever be, I think. It shows in his game and it shows in the effect that it has on the rest of us. He always shows his emotions when he scores, but he’ll be just as happy for somebody else scoring. He wants to win as bad as anyone.”

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WASHINGTON – Alex Ovechkin and the Capitals have traversed their share of uncharted territory this postseason - none more significant than playing a Stanley Cup Final game in D.C. for the first time in two decades.

It only made sense that Ovechkin, the face of the franchise, would score the opening goal.

“He’s very passionate, as everyone knows,” coach Barry Trotz said following Washington's 3-1 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. “It was the right thing in a playoff game, the first victory in the final, that Alex scores the first goal. Some poetic justice, if you will."

Ovechkin has always played the game with abandon, but since vanquishing the Pittsburgh Penguins in the second round, freed from the failures and expectations of the past, he’s almost looked lighter, unburdened.

He scored 1:10 into the second period of the first June hockey game played in the nation’s capital since 1998, setting the tone for a decisive Game 3 win that gave the Caps a 2-1 series lead. Ovechkin threw the puck past Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury as he tripped over Brayden McNabb and after Fleury was unable to control John Carlson’s point blast.

“He was possessed out there,” Carlson said. “That’s a good way to put it, I think. He’s playing with passion and energy and joy and he’s a one-man wrecking crew. How committed he is. It’s the best he’s played in my opinion.”

It’s hard to argue with that. Ovechkin’s 14 goals are tied with John Druce for the most in franchise history in a single postseason. By the end of the game, Ovechkin had 13 shot attempts and five shots on goal. When he didn’t have the puck, he was trying to get it back. He was throwing hits and blocking shots. Nothing different, really, from what he’s done throughout the course of the Capitals’ improbable run to the final.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

“I feel like Ovi always has about 10 shots on goal halfway through the game, or he has the attempts at least,” center Lars Eller said. “He was pumped up. Everybody was pumped up today. I’m not surprised he scores a goal. He always wants to score, badly. I haven’t seen a different Ovi today than I have lately. He’s been on. But he always shows a lot of emotion at home, and that’s right.”

When Evgeny Kuznetsov scored 11:40 later on an odd-man rush to put Washington up 2-0, the reaction from the bench was instant. Ovechkin thrusted his hands in the air, threw his head back, and screamed. Eller embraced him.

“It's just automatic,” Ovechkin said. “You just get excited. If Holts makes a huge save you can just see the whole bench jump and get excited. It's huge moments for us. You just want to give emotion to your teammates and to yourself as well.”

Ovechkin’s “hot-stick” celebrations seem like a lifetime ago, but he’s never shied away from expressing his joy, for himself or his teammates, whether on the ice or on the bench. The Ovechkin who's finally getting to play in a Cup final is the same one he’s always been - everyone’s just paying attention now.

“He’s on another level,” Eller said. “Everyone kind of reacts to stuff differently and he’s always been that brash celebrator. It’s great to see and he’s as engaged as anyone could ever be, I think. It shows in his game and it shows in the effect that it has on the rest of us. He always shows his emotions when he scores, but he’ll be just as happy for somebody else scoring. He wants to win as bad as anyone.”

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As NHL teams are eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 27th edition focuses on the Nashville Predators.

The Good

A record-breaking season. The Predators won a division title and claimed the Presidents’ Trophy for the first time in their history a year after losing to the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Stanley Cup Final. They also recorded 53 wins, a franchise record. Vezina Trophy finalist Pekka Rinne could become the first player in Predators history to win the award, which would be the first of his career after three previous top-three finishes.

Sensational Subban. P.K. Subban was named a Norris Trophy finalist for the third time after putting together his third 82-game season and recording 59 points. The veteran was the only Nashville player to appear in every game. Though he was one point off his career-best 60-point season in 2014-15, this year’s outing was his best statistically. He finished the season ranked eighth in the league in points by defensemen, while his 16 goals were tied for second.

The JOFA line. The Predators’ top unit of Ryan Johansen, Filip Forsberg, and Viktor Arvidsson was dangerous all year. The line ranked among the league's top five statistically during the season and added an incredible 10 goals in 148 minutes at even strength in the playoffs.

The Bad

Inconsistent goaltending. Rinne might have had a Vezina-worthy regular season, but his playoffs were ... not the best. He was pulled three times, all at home, during the Predators’ series against the Winnipeg Jets. In Game 7, he gave up two goals on seven shots and was yanked within the first 11 minutes. Rinne did have a few good moments, including a 34-save shutout in Game 6, but his save percentage ended up a dismal .900 for the series. During the regular season, his stat line was impressive: 42-13-4 with a 2.31 goals-against average and .927 save percentage.

Depth didn't deliver. Against the Jets, the Predators scored 19 goals - and 13 of them came from their top line and Subban. Basically, no one beyond the top line made much of an impact on the scoresheet. Nashville addressed its forward depth during the offseason by adding players like Nick Bonino, Kyle Turris, Ryan Hartman, and Mike Fisher to play with a healthy Kevin Fiala, but none of them scored more than two points in the series.

The defense underperformed. The Predators’ formidable defense has become one of their trademarks. Subban, Mattias Ekholm, Roman Josi, and Ryan Ellis form one of the best top-four groups in the league. But they ran into a buzzsaw in the Jets. Winnipeg’s relentless attack, skill, and ability to pressure in the zone gave Nashville’s blue-liners a really tough time. There were stretches where the Predators held their own, but Winnipeg was just that much better.

The Questions

What does Ryan Ellis' next contract look like? Ellis has one year left until he’s a UFA, but he wants to stay in Nashville, and the two parties can start discussing an extension July 1. His current four-year contract, signed in 2014, pays him a reasonable $2.5 million a year, but he could command around $6 million annually on his next deal. Ellis missed part of the season because of knee surgery and played just 44 games but still managed 32 points, which equates roughly to a 60-point pace over 82 games.

How much does Rinne have left? Rinne's said he'll play the one year left on his contract, but hasn't thought further than that. So he’ll be Nashville’s starter for at least one more season, but even he can recognize that he’ll eventually be overtaken by backup Juuse Saros (as long as the 23-year-old continues to progress).

What else needs to change? Probably not much. With the exception of UFAs Scott Hartnell and Alexei Emelin, the Predators will ice mostly the same team in the fall. General manager David Poile could make a splash if he wants to, but don’t expect him to be one of John Tavares' suitors. Adding another forward or two to boost scoring depth might be prudent considering Nashville's offense looked top-heavy in the playoffs.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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As NHL teams are eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 25th edition focuses on the Boston Bruins.

The Good

David Pastrnak. A part of one of the NHL’s best top lines, Pastrnak had the best season of his career, sporting highs in just about every category, with 35 goals, 45 assists, and 80 points. The Bruins signed the 22-year-old to a six-year, $40-million deal in September, locking down a player in his prime who just seems to be getting better. Pastrnak also tore it up in the playoffs, registering 20 points in 12 games.

Tuukka Rask. The Bruins’ starting goaltender got off to a rough start at the beginning of the season but won 31 of his last 40 starts, ending the campaign with his best save percentage in three years. In an effort to keep him fresh for the playoffs, he played the fewest games since becoming the Bruins' starting goalie in 2013, a move that didn’t end the way Rask and the rest of the Bruins would have liked.

The young guys. The 2017-18 Bruins were younger and even better than expected, and it looks like that trend will continue. Players like Charlie McAvoy, Jake DeBrusk, Danton Heinen, and Matt Grzelcyk began to establish themselves at the NHL level and there are even more youngsters waiting in the wings. Austin Czarnik, Trent Frederic, Jakub Zboril, and Jack Studnicka could all challenge for a spot on the NHL roster come training camp in the fall.

The Bad

Marchand’s antics. Brad Marchand, at his best, is a highly effective goal-scorer and pest capable of getting under just about anyone’s skin. He led the Bruins in points in the regular season, so his decision to start licking players - Leo Komarov of the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round and Ryan Callahan of the Tampa Bay Lightning in the second round - was puzzling. It prompted the NHL to step in. Surely he can find another way to pester his opponents, such as scoring goals, as his coach Bruce Cassidy suggested.

5-on-5 struggles. Six goals were scored at five-on-five through the first two games of the second-round series against the Lightning. During the last three contests, the Bruins were completely shut down at even strength. This was especially surprising considering Boston finished the regular season with the sixth-best offense in the league. They just didn’t have an answer for the Lightning’s strong defensive series.

Depth that didn’t deliver. Pastrnak, Patrice Bergeron, and David Backes combined for 23 points in five games against the Lightning. Outside of that, the Bruins didn’t have much of anything else going. Only three players not on the top line (David Krejci, Rick Nash, Jake DeBrusk) recorded a point.

The Questions

Which free agents will be back? The Bruins have some big decisions looming in free agency. Rick Nash, Riley Nash, Tim Schaller, Anton Khudobin, Tommy Wingels, Brian Gionta, and Nick Holden are all set to be UFAs July 1. Rick and Riley Nash and Khudobin seem the most likely to be brought back, with Gionta the most plausible departure. Don Sweeney will have to consider the cap and, of course, future deals with players like McAvoy.

Do they re-sign Khudobin? Rask’s backup has been vocal about his desire to stay in Boston, but it’s possible he could be priced out. He made $1.2 million on his last two-year deal and could command at least $2 million on his next. Goaltending options outside the Bruins organization don’t look all that promising and none of the prospects in the pipeline look particularly viable just yet. It might be in both parties’ best interests to work something out.

Will they trade for a first-round pick at the draft? The Bruins traded their 2018 first-round pick to the Rangers for Rick Nash, but they’ve discussed trading to get back in the first round. Otherwise, they won’t have a selection until late in the second round, one of their five picks in this year’s draft.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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As NHL teams are eliminated from Stanley Cup contention, theScore NHL freelance writer Katie Brown looks back at the highs and lows of their seasons, along with the biggest questions ahead of 2018-19. The 26th edition focuses on the Pittsburgh Penguins.

The Good

Jake Guentzel. The sensational forward picked up right where he left off last year by leading the league with 21 points through two rounds. The line of Guentzel, Sidney Crosby, and Patric Hornqvist accounted for the majority of the Penguins’ postseason offense. Guentzel started the regular season slowly but reached career highs in goals (22), assists (26), and points (48) in his second NHL campaign.

Phil Kessel. Love him or hate him, Kessel was one of Pittsburgh’s best players during the regular season, playing every game for the eighth straight year, and scoring 92 points and leading the NHL with 42 power-play points. Since his trade from Toronto in 2015, he’s been a reliable offensive force and can play pretty much anywhere Mike Sullivan puts him.

Patric Hornqvist. He’s the guy you hate to play against but would want on your team in a heartbeat. The Penguins re-signed the noted goalie pest to a reasonable five-year, $26.5-million deal in late February that might end up looking like a real bargain when this year’s crop of free agents hits the market. Hornqvist posted the second-highest goal total of his career (and highest since 2009-10) in the regular season and was third on the Penguins in postseason points with 11 as part of the tremendously effective first line.

The Bad

No depth scoring. Outside of the top line, which carried much of the weight during this postseason, the Penguins got considerably less offense from their depth than in previous years - just 12 goals from players not named Guentzel, Crosby, or Hornqvist.

Shaky goaltending. Matt Murray didn’t have the best playoffs, like a lot of other Penguins players, but goaltending was arguably a factor in their second-round exit. His playoffs weren’t terrible, just average; he might have been good enough to help them win, but not to cover the Penguins’ other deficiencies. Murray’s combined save percentage over the past two Stanley Cup runs was .935. This year it was .914, second-worst among players remaining in the playoffs.

Malkin and Kessel underperformed. Though he had a tremendous regular season, Kessel - battling undisclosed injuries - scored just once in the postseason. Evgeni Malkin was sidelined for two games against Washington and didn’t look like the same player when he came back. He scored one power-play goal in the series.

The Questions

Will Kessel be traded? Rumors are swirling that the relationship between the Penguins and Kessel has soured and that Jim Rutherford could try to move him this summer. Kessel will be 31 at the start of next term and has four more years left on a deal that pays him $8 million. His value is high right now, and Rutherford might decide to take advantage of that, although he could just as easily decide to keep Kessel around considering his value to the team.

What does the goalie tandem look like? The Penguins settled into a nice rhythm with Casey DeSmith as Murray’s backup and it looks like that could stick next year. Where does that leave Tristan Jarry? Continuing to play in the AHL at this point probably holds little benefit for him, and since Murray isn’t going anywhere as the starter and Jarry seems better suited to regular starts, Rutherford could get a nice return for the young goaltender this summer.

Do the Penguins hang on to Carl Hagelin? Hagelin will be in the last year of a contract that pays him $4 million a year at the start of the 2018-19 season. He had a strong end to his campaign with 25 points in 39 games, so his value is high. With long-term deals to players like Guentzel in the near future and a host of players coming up from the minors, Rutherford could easily find Hagelin a new home.

(Photos courtesy: Getty Images)

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WASHINGTON – A Game 7 separates the Washington Capitals from their first Stanley Cup Final appearance in 20 years – and there’s no one else head coach Barry Trotz would rather go into battle with.

“Going into Game 7, I don’t think I would want another – and I’ve been doing this for a while – I don’t think there’s a team I’ve ever had that I’d want to go into a Game 7 with,” Trotz said Tuesday. “This team has done a lot of special things this year, it’s grown, it continues to do that.”

Down 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final series against the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Capitals forced a Game 7 with a decisive 3-0 victory in Game 6. It was certainly Braden Holtby's best performance of the series and perhaps Washington’s best game of the playoffs.

It could have been the end of their season, but the Capitals made sure that wasn't the case. And, as if it hadn’t been evident enough throughout the playoffs, these are not the same Capitals of the past.

“I don’t think we mentally in our mind think about what people say,” star winger Alex Ovechkin said. “Lots of people say we’re going to lose to Columbus. Lots of people say we’re going to lose to Pittsburgh. Lots of people said we’re going to lose to Tampa. (Wednesday) is the biggest probably game in my life and in this team, this organization. We just want to be here and want to come back here to Game 7 and win the game.”

The last two years were supposed to be their coronation as the Presidents’ Trophy winner, each time snuffed by the Penguins in the postseason. Where those iterations might have buckled under adversity and the pressure of expectations, these Capitals thrive, having won the division despite struggling through the first quarter of the season.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

It was a remarkable feat for a team that could have easily circled the drain after starting off so badly – and one that looked rather ordinary after losing plenty of talent over the summer.

“I said to my wife, 'on paper we’re not as good this year, but watch: this will be the year we do something,'” defenseman Matt Niskanen said. “That’s just the way it works. Hockey's a funny sport. That just proves how names on a piece of paper don’t win. It’s how guys play together. A lot of things have to go right, big goals, big saves, a bounce here or there. But we’re one step away and guys are excited for the opportunity.”

Each time it seems the knockout blow has been struck, the Capitals counterpunch even harder. When they were down 0-2 to the Blue Jackets in the first round, they responded by winning four straight to move on, where the Penguins waited. In that series, they were without two of their top-six forwards for several games – and when they had a chance to eliminate Pittsburgh on the road, they did it.

“Can’t tell you the exact moment or why it happened, but something felt different about it,” Niskanen said. “I just think that our ability to respond, our ability to stay with it is so much better this spring. We just play.”

History hasn’t been on Washington’s side in series-deciding games. During Ovechkin’s career, the Capitals are 3-7 in Game 7s – but this one is different from all the rest, just like the Capitals.

“Well, of course you have dreams, you have thoughts, you have all different stuff before the year or before the playoffs and right now you’re in this position and you just don’t want to give up this opportunity,” Ovechkin said. “It’s not going to be easy. It’s not going to be like a regular-season game, OK, tomorrow we’re going to have another one and we can bounce back. (Wednesday) is going to be the biggest game in our life, maybe.”

Copyright © 2018 Score Media Ventures Inc. All rights reserved. Certain content reproduced under license.