NHL Stanley Cup Finals game 1 recap and analysis

T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV scene theater of the Stanley Cup Finals race 1 and also theater of an artistic representation on the ice pre-game taken immediately to the letter from the landlords, representation that represented of the gold knights defending the their castle and destroy a red army with the flag of the Capitals. The beginning of Vegas has been nothing short of dominant, not giving any shot to its rivals and putting immediately under pressure Holtby, and then succeed in beating and put an end to his unbeaten run that lasted over 2 games with 67 consecutive salvations . To do so was Miller in power play with a violent snap shot that favored by the screen of Carson on his goalie has found the first goal in the series and the Knights advantage that is known in these playoffs has meant a lot to their fate. After a few minutes without big chances, Washington found the draw with 5:19 left on the clock of the first period with a seemingly innoquent action with Kempny under pressure that from the blue line "literally" threw the disk in the area in front of the door where Connolly it redirected it to the corner by beating Fleury. After not even 30 seconds the guests have gone to lead the game thanks to a good play by Oshie who recovered a disk behind the door and managed to put it in the middle where Carlson (left guiltily free from the defense) managed with a back hand shot to beat Fleury. In the best moment of the Capitals the Knights managed to equalize the game thanks to a shot by Smith who deflected from Niskanen and rebounded behind the door giving Karlsson an assist a few inches from the door and not giving Holtby time to react. After the first rest and the teams equal to two goals goal the hosts thought to unlock the situation after a little more than 3 minutes in the second period when the problems in managing the rebounds and the repulses of Holtby gave Engelland the opportunity to serve Smith who created the goalie did not forgive the goalie of the Capitals thus bringing his advantage to the advantage. With Vegas forward to find the fourth goal of the game Holtby was called to a couple of feats to avoid the double advantage of the opponents and immediately after the other part a heavy error of Fleury that baptizing the shot of Oshie has moved everything to left the door leaving it completely unlucky to Carlson who could seal his personal double and the Washington draw without struggling too much. With the game on 3-3 both teams continued to push to find the goal of the advantage taking very high rhythms and making the game nice to see and almost frenetic, from there at the end of the second period there were a couple of occasions for part but nothing so net to give the advantage to one of the two formations. The third period began in the sign of the Capitals with a flash start they managed to stabilize the possession of the disk in the offensive field half creating traffic and confusion in front of Fleury who committing another mistake losing sight of the disk gave a chance to Wilson to few steps from the door to seal the goal of the advantage, a chance that was collected and exploited at best by the number 43 in white. The lead advantage did not last more than a few minutes as Reeves drew it with yet another shot assisted by a bouncing disk coming from behind the door that saw the traffic in the goal created did not leave hope to Holtby. Loads after the draw goal the hosts continued to attack and putting their rivals in trouble especially with the fourth line, which thanks to its immense contribution of energy and physicality managed to find the goal of the advantage in the middle of the third period when Theodore unmarked with a perfect cross ice pass Nosek who only had to support the penalty spot on the net. From that moment on came the suffocating defense of the Knights, the one that leaves a few, very few spaces to pull and move the ball, despite all the Capitals have had a couple of good chances to even the game, the best with Heller 39 seconds from the end that he found the disk in the goal created an empty net but failed to direct it in it. With the empty door and looking for everything Washington has finally raised the white flag 2 seconds from the end when Nosek went to score the sixth goal of the Knights thus giving an immense joy to a city that in so little time becomes attached to this team of "misfits".

A beautiful game full of reversals in front, two teams technically and mentally strong able to never suffer the game of the other but that as always happens in sport one had to lose. Vegas has proved to know how to win all the times of games and that when you need a department that sounds present, on the other side of the Capitals as always excellent away but this time they had to bow to the best home team in these playoffs. There will be many adjustments in game 2 especially defensive and concerning the goalkeepers and related weaknesses to protect and this will only make a series of games more interesting with a bang. The MVP of this game I can give it to all the fourth line of Knights that is the one that was able to bring them to victory with their own sweat and their energy.