Alex Ovechkin has finally done it, he's a Stanley Cup Champion (and MVP.) The drought was finally halted after 13 seasons in a Washington Capitals uniform, and this championship run won't be forgotten any time soon.
The Capitals raised the cup after defeating the best first year expansion team in the history of professional sports, the Vegas Golden Knights. The Knights were led by their franchise goaltender Marc Andre Fleury who had problems containing the Capitals attacks, giving up 20 goals in only five games.
This came because of the continued efforts of Ovechkin along with other breakout players from Washington like T.J Oshie and Evgeny Kuznetsov putting pressure on Vegas in their own zone and forcing and capitalizing on turnovers and sloppy defensive play. This was really put on display in the deciding game five as two of the Capitals goals came from Vegas turnovers.
Vegas' inaugural season shouldn't leave fans wanting more, as a team who was projected by many journalists to be one of, if not the worst team in the entire league. The Golden Knights proved that Las Vegas could be called home to a professional sports team, and a very near championship team at that.
But at the end of the day it was the Washington Capitals that had claimed Lord Stanley's Cup. Year after year it was heartbreak for the fans in D.C. but in their 43rd season as an NHL franchise, they achieved what many kids dream of their whole lives, to be crowned champions.
