After decades of heartbreak, the Washington Capitals are finally celebrating a championship.

The Capitals on Thursday night won the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5.

Washington entered the third period in Las Vegas down 3-2, but a pair of unanswered goals in the final period... </s> (Stephen MacGillivray/The Canadian Press via AP, File). FILE - In this June 22, 2017, file photo, Willie O'Ree, known best for being the first black player in the National Hockey League, poses for a photo at the Willie O'Ree Place in Fredericton, New B...

LAS VEGAS (AP) - The Latest from Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Washington Capitals and the Vegas Golden Knights (all times local):

The Washington Capitals have won their first Stanley Cup championship, beating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

Lars Eller scored with 7:37 left, giving the Capitals a 4-3 lead and they hung on after Vegas pulled goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury for the extra skater.

It is the first championship for the Capitals, who began play in 1974.

The Golden Knights wrap up a storybook year, advancing all the way to the final in their first year of existence.

Washington has moved a big step toward its first Stanley Cup.

Lars Eller scored with 7:37 left, giving the Capitals a 4-3 lead against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Washington went into the third trailing 3-2 and went ahead after Devante Smith-Pelly and Eller scored 2:31 apart midway through the final period.

The Capitals are up 3-1 in the series, a win away from their first NHL championship in franchise history.

Devante Smith-Pelly has pulled Washington into a 3-3 tie with Vegas midway through the third period in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Brooks Orpik sent the puck toward the net, it went off Smith-Pelly's left skate to help him corral it and he sent a shot past Marc-Andre Fleury as he fell to the ice.

Smith-Pelly has seven goals this postseason, matching his total during the regular seasons. He was relegated to signing a two-way contract with the Capitals entering the season and earned a spot in the lineup 75 times during the regular season. He scored in Game 4, too, also collecting the puck off a skate before his shot.

Washington has a 3-1 series lead and is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. If Vegas holds on, Game 6 in Washington will be Sunday night.

The Vegas Golden Knights are 10-0 this postseason when leading after two periods, as they do 3-2 against Washington in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The Capitals have lost four of the six games they've played this postseason when trailing after the second period.

Washington has a 3-1 series lead and is looking for its first Stanley Cup championship. If Vegas holds on, Game 6 in Washington will be Sunday night.

The Vegas Golden Knights are 20 minutes away from forcing Game 6 in the Stanley Cup Final.

Vegas leads Washington 3-2 going into the third period after the two teams combined for five goals in a wild second period. There were lead changes, a coach's challenge, fights and power plays as the teams picked up the pace following a goal-less opening period.

Reilly Smith gave Vegas the lead, shooting into an open net off a fantastic pass from Alex Tuch with 28.2 seconds left in the second period.

The Golden Knights didn't get to celebrate very long because there was a lot of pushing, shoving and face-washing behind the net right after the go-ahead goal.

Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 18 shots through two periods and Braden Holtby made 17 saves for the Capitals.

A win would give the Capitals the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. The expansion Golden Knights are hoping to extend their stunning, record-breaking season.

Washington and Vegas are tied 2-2 late in a wild second period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

After no goals in the opening period, the offenses got rolling and then some with four goals in a heart-pounding 6:32 stretch.

Washington's Jakub Vrana opened the flurry with a goal 6:24 into the second, rifling a shot over the glove of Marc-Andre Fleury.

Alex Ovechkin put the Capitals ahead 2-1 on a power play just 34 seconds after Vegas' Nate Schmidt was credited with a goal that went off Washington defenseman Matt Niskanen's skate.

David Perron pulled Vegas into the second tie of the period. The goal stood after a coach's challenge, a move Washington had to try because Braden Holtby was trying to make a save while two players were wrestling in the crease.

Washington has a 3-1 series lead, one win away from the franchise's first Stanley Cup.

Washington has taken a 1-0 lead in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final against Vegas.

Jakub Vrana got behind the Golden Knights' defense and took advantage of the time and space, scoring from the inside of the left circle 6:24 into the second period. He beat Marc-Andre Fleury on his glove side, sending the puck over his left elbow and into the net.

The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 seasons.

The Golden Knights have scored only five goals in losing the last three games and are having trouble finding much space again against the Washington defense and goaltender Braden Holtby.

NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman is defending the expansion draft that loaded first-year franchise Vegas with talent.

The Golden Knights were the surprise of the NHL this season, winning the Pacific Division and rolling all the way to the Stanley Cup Final against Washington. Critics have suggested the expansion draft was too generous for the new franchise, which saw strong play from veterans including goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury, James Neal and others.

Bettman was asked about it during an NBC interview during the first intermission of Game 5 and said the league's "competitive balance shows anything is possible." He noted the turnaround seasons this year by Colorado and New Jersey.

Said Bettman: "If you're passionate about your team, you have hope for every season."

The Washington Capitals are outshooting the Vegas Golden Knights so far but the teams are tied 0-0 after the first period of Game 5 in the Stanley Cup Final.

It marked the third scoreless period of the series.

Braden Holtby had to make just seven saves for the Capitals. Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 10 shots for the Golden Knights, who face elimination.

Washington leads the series 3-1, one win away from the first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Hits are outnumbering shots so far through a scoreless first period in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

Washington and Vegas combined for just seven shots while landing a total of 19 hits in the early going. The Capitals had blocked four shots while the Golden Knights blocked a pair of pucks before a shot even got to Marc-Andre Fleury.

Washington came up empty on a power play, though Alex Ovechkin rang a shot off the post.

Washington is up 3-1, a win away from its first Stanley Cup in franchise history.

Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final is under way in Las Vegas.

With the Golden Knights scoring only five goals in the previous three games of the Stanley Cup Final, Vegas coach Gerard Gallant shook up his lineup.

Veteran forwards Ryan Reaves and Ryan Carpenter were scratched, while William Carrier and David Perron were in uniform. Carrier hadn't played since Game 5 of the second round against San Jose, missing 10 straight games. Perron played in the Final's first three games before sitting out Game 4.

The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 seasons.

Washington star Alex Ovechkin skated onto the Vegas side of the rink during pregame warmups, narrowly avoiding Marc-Andre Fleury as the goaltender was stretching along the boards before Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The goaltender skated across the red line and toward the Washington superstar before retreating back to his side. Later, though, Fleury got even by slashing Ovechkin's legs as they skated past each other.

Earlier in the series, the veterans acted like kids squirting water on each other's side of the red line.

The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 NHL seasons.

Hundreds of fans braved 97-degree heat and assembled again in the plaza directly outside T-Mobile Arena several hours before Vegas hosted Washington in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

As game time approached, the crowd got larger as it swelled with fans without tickets. A majority of the crowd was wearing Golden Knights garb, but the sea of people included a large portion of red-clad Washington Capitals fans occasionally chanting "We want the Cup!"

The Caps have a 3-1 series lead and are trying to clinch their first championship in 43 NHL seasons.

The Washington Capitals are on the brink of raising the Stanley Cup for the first time in franchise history.

Alex Ovechkin and his Caps are taking the ice for Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final with a 3-1 series lead after three consecutive victories over the Vegas Golden Knights.

While past Washington teams have a long history of struggles in closeout games, these Caps have won all three of their potential closeout games. If they can do it again, the Caps will clinch the first championship in 43 NHL seasons for a franchise that began play in 1974.

The Knights have never lost four consecutive games in their inaugural season. They won the Final opener, but have been outscored 12-5 since.

Willie O'Ree, the first black NHL player, says the player who wins the award named in his honor will have displayed hockey and life skills.

The NHL will give the first Willie O'Ree Community Hero Award later this month in Las Vegas. O'Ree broke the league's color barrier 60 years ago with the Boston Bruins and overcame blindness in his right eye.

O'Ree spoke ahead of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, where Washington took a 3-1 lead on the road to Las Vegas.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> The Washington Capitals advanced to the Stanley Cup Final and will play the Vegas Golden Knights.

The Capitals defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday.

"I'm just happy for my boys, for the organization, for the fans, finally," Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin told NBCSN. "I can't wait to come back home and play at home in the Stanley Cup Final. It's going to be nuts over there."

[RELATED: Complete Golden Knights vs. Capitals series coverage | Stanley Cup Final schedule]

The Golden Knights defeated the Winnipeg Jets in five games to win the Western Conference Final. That best-of-7 series ended Sunday.

"Right now, our team, everybody plays their best," Vegas forward Jonathan Marchessault said. "... Everybody is on point. Everybody has a taste of it too. We want more. How could we be satisfied with what we did right now?"

Video: WSH@TBL, Gm7: Holtby, Ovechkin on going to Cup Final

Vegas, which had four points more than Washington this regular season (109-105), has home-ice advantage and will host Game 1 at T-Mobile Arena on Monday (8 p.m. ET; NBC, CBC, SN, TVAS).

"It's going to be a wild ride in Vegas," Washington forward Tom Wilson said. "That's going to be a heck of a show and we're looking forward to a pretty historic final here."

It's the second time the Capitals have advanced to the Stanley Cup Final. They were swept by the Detroit Red Wings in 1998.

The Capitals lost the two games to the Golden Knights this season, 3-0 on the road Dec. 23 and 4-3 at home Feb. 4. Matt Niskanen, Nicklas Backstrom and Chandler Stephenson scored for Washington, and Braden Holtby (3.00 GAA, .893 save percentage) and Philipp Grubauer (4.10 GAA, .871 save percentage) each started one game.

Reilly Smith and Alex Tuch each had two goals and an assist, and Marchessault had three assists for the Golden Knights. Marc-Andre Fleury had a .939 save percentage and one shutout winning the two games.

"Obviously their goalie's playing great and they work together," Washington defenseman John Carlson said of Vegas. "They work together really well and kind of attack you with five guys. Kind of like the last three teams we faced. It's going to be a tall task, but I have confidence and faith in this group and what we're capable of."

The Golden Knights are the third team to advance to the Stanley Cup Final in their inaugural NHL season, joining the Toronto Arenas (1918) and St. Louis Blues (1968). Vegas is the sixth team to reach the Cup Final in its first postseason appearance, joining the Arenas, Blues, Montreal Maroons (1926), Boston Bruins (1927) and Florida Panthers (1996).

Vegas defeated the Los Angeles Kings in four games and the San Jose Sharks in six games before eliminating Winnipeg.

Video: How Vegas achieved the impossible in their first year

Marchessault leads the Golden Knights with 18 points (eight goals, 10 assists) in 15 playoff games. Linemates Smith (16 points; four goals, 12 assists) and William Karlsson (13 points; six goals, seven assists) are second and third. Fleury is 12-3 with a 1.68 goals-against average and .947 save percentage, which is the best in NHL history for a goalie with at least 12 games played in a single postseason.

"I think we deserve it," Karlsson said. "We beat three great teams to get to this spot. No one believed in us. Now they're saying it was unfair and things like that. I think we deserve to be here, and all the fans, the city, deserve to be here."

Washington defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets and Pittsburgh Penguins each in six games.

"Every series is tough," Ovechkin said. "We're just playing our game, stick to the system, and we deserve to win."

Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov leads the playoffs with 24 points (11 goals, 13 assists) and Ovechkin is second (22 points; 12 goals, 10 assists). Holtby is 12-6 with a 2.04 GAA and .924 save percentage since taking over from Philipp Grubauer in Game 2 of the first round.

"They're going to be a tough test," Washington forward T.J. Oshie said. "I think we're going to be a tough test as well. I personally can't wait to get there and play head to head."

NHL.com staff writer Tracey Myers contributed to this report. </s> LAS VEGAS — Washington Capitals win their first Stanley Cup title, beating Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5.

Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. </s> Washington Capitals Hoist First Stanley Cup After Dramatic Win Over Vegas

Washington, D.C., has had, by some measures, among the most miserable sports fans in the United States. The city ended a quarter-century of futility Thursday night as the Washington Capitals beat the Las Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 to win the NHL's Stanley Cup.

The Capitals' first championship is the city's first in one of the country's big four professional sports leagues since the NFL's Redskins won the Super Bowl in 1992. Thursday also marked the 40th anniversary of the Washington Wizards' only NBA title.

The Capitals win also stops short the Las Vegas' stunning run to the Stanley Cup Finals. An expansion team, the Golden Knights didn't exist 14 months ago. After the game, league commissioner Gary Bettman Las Vegas' home crowd it was "the best first year any team has ever had."

Capitals' superstar Alex Ovechkin — awarded the Conn Smythe trophy as the best player in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs — scored his league-leading 15th goal of the playoffs in the second period, Devante Smith-Pelly scored his third goal of the series while falling to the ice to tie the game 3-3, and Lars Eller put Washington ahead for good with 7:37 to go when he hammered home a puck that had snuck behind Golden Knights' goalie Marc-Andre Fleury.

"It means everything," Eller told The Associated Press. "You couldn't write the story better.

Goalie Braden Holtby stopped 28 of 31 shots against him, including three of four attempts during power plays.

Reilly Smith led the Golden Knights with a power play goal, his fifth of the playoffs, and an assist. Fleury, long one of the top goalies in the league, stopped 29 of 33 shots, making several acrobatic saves. </s> LAS VEGAS (AP) — Washington Capitals win their first Stanley Cup title, beating Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5. </s> The NHL season is down to two teams, and fans are bracing themselves for an historic Stanley Cup finals. The most remarkable story in American sports history, the expansion Las Vegas Golden Knights, are in the Stanley Cup finals in their inaugural season. The action starts May 28, when the Knights host the Washington Capitals in Las Vegas.

Las Vegas will be favored in their first-ever Stanley Cup final appearance, opening as a -150 favorite according to Jeff Sherman. The Capitals are the underdog at +135.

Stanley Cup odds are also available for the series. Once again, in their first appearance, the Las Vegas Golden Knights are favored to hoist the Stanley Cup. They are a -160 favorite according to Sherman, with the Capitals valued at +140.

Heading into Wednesday night’s Game 7 between the Capitals and Lightning, you could still place futures wagers on the winner of the Stanley Cup. As the only team that secured their place in the final, Vegas had the best Stanley Cup odds at -101, according to OddsShark. Tampa Bay had the next-best odds at +228, while the Caps trailed at +330.

Why the discrepancy between the teams? The biggest swing factor is the potential home-ice advantage. Las Vegas is 6-1 during the postseason at T-Mobile Arena, and oddsmakers think it would be tougher for Washington should they face a Game 7 in Vegas. Alternatively, as the top seed and guaranteed a Game 7 at home, Tampa has slightly better Stanley Cup odds should they advance.

I cannot and will not pick against the greatest story in American sports history. Look at this absolutely preposterous timeline:

Vegas is great at home, and they’ve closed three playoff series on the road. They have a reliable scorer in William Karlsson, and arguably the hottest goaltender in the postseason.

And he is one heck of a goaltender. Marc-Andre Fleury is going for a third straight Stanley Cup finals win, and is looking to continue his career of playing spoiler to NHL superstar Alex Ovechkin. He enters the final series with four straight games of 30-plus saves.

The former first overall pick in Pittsburgh has closed the door on the Capitals in the playoffs on two separate occasions, including two outstanding game seven performances. After winning back-to-back cups with the Penguins, Fleury fell into the lap of Las Vegas during the expansion draft when Pittsburgh decided to protect the younger Matt Murray.

The Capitals have the most postseason experience of any team in the playoffs, playing postseason hockey in 11 of the past 12 seasons. Theoretically, they shouldn’t be fazed by the lights of Vegas. Washington is 7-2 away from home in the postseason, including winning three road games over the Penguins. And then, of course, a convincing 4-0 victory in Tampa to secure their first Stanley Cup final appearance since the 1997-98 season.

The Capitals will try to win the series by playing physical hockey and winning on special teams. They’ve had decent success on the power play in the postseason, but Vegas has been excellent at killing penalties throughout the postseason. Evgeny Kuznetsov has been the best offensive player in the NHL during the playoffs, and he’ll need to stay hot for the Caps to swing momentum in their favor.

The bottom line is this: Las Vegas is not supposed to be here. Washington should have been here by now. The NHL Playoffs will forever and always belong to the team with the hottest goaltender. If Fleury can play like he did over the final four games against Winnipeg, the Golden Knights will celebrate their inaugural season with a Las Vegas-style parade. </s> TAMPA, Fla. – None of Washington, D.C.’s four major sports teams have won a championship since 1992 (Redskins – Super Bowl XXVI). The Washington Capitals, D.C.’s hockey team, will have a chance to put the freeze on that drought.

Wednesday, the Capitals defeat the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-0 in a winner-take-all game seven of the NHL’s Eastern Conference Final. With the victory, the Caps advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 1998. Washington has never won a Stanley Cup Final game, much less a title.

Alex Ovechkin opened the scoring just 1:02 into the game. 8:59 into the second period, Andre Burakovsky scored his first of two goals to put the Caps ahead 2-0. His second goal of the night came with less than four minutes to play in the second period and gave Washington a 3-0 advantage.

Putting the icing on the cake, Nicklas Backstrom added a goal in the final four minutes of the third period. Braden Holtby delivered his second straight shutout in goal for the Caps.

The Capitals will face the Vegas Golden Knights, an expansion team, in the best of seven Stanley Cup Final. That series begins 8:00 p.m. Monday in Las Vegas. </s> History will be made in the 2018 Stanley Cup Finals, no matter which team wins the title. The Washington Capitals have never won a championship in their 44-year existence, and the Vegas Golden Knights are still in their expansion season.

Vegas is a slight betting favorite after having a more successful regular season, as well as an easier time in the conference finals. The Golden Knights had 109 points, finishing four points ahead of the Capitals in the overall NHL standings. They needed just five games to get past the Winnipeg Jets last round, watching from home as Washington survived a seven-game series with the Tampa Bay Lightning.

No one expected the expansion franchise to win the Western Conference, and they might be in the midst of the most improbable title run in the history of American team sports. The Golden Knights had 500-1 odds to win the championship before the season began, though they quickly proved to be real contenders with eight victories in their first nine games.

The Golden Knights will be well-rested when they finally take the ice for Game 1. They punched their ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, May 20, giving them eight days off in between games. The Capitals will have five days of rest after clinching Thursday night.

Fatigue shouldn’t be a factor in the Stanley Cup Finals because of the way the schedule is structured. Not only are there no back-to-backs, but the teams will have 72 hours of rest four times if the series goes seven games.

Every contest will start at 8 p.m. EDT on either NBC or NBC Sports Network. Only one Stanley Cup Final in the last decade has gone fewer than six games.
The Washington Capitals will play the Vegas Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Finals after a game 7 victory. It is the first Stanley Cup Finals appearance for the Capitals since 1998.