NHL Game 7 - Caps Shut Out TBay 4 to 0; Washington vs Vegas for The Stanley Cup

On Wednesday night May 23, The Caps shut out TBay, as they did in game 6, taking the series 4 - 3.  

I'd predicted TBay winning 3 to 2 over the Caps

Actual Final Score:  TBay 0; Caps 4

First, how would you like feel a puck slam into the back of your neck? Because that's what happened to the Caps' Devante Smith-Pelly, (# 25), not quite seven minutes into the start of the game. Check out the video...FOUCH!

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He left the ice, headed for the locker room, returned later in the game, played a short while and then sat the rest of the game out. He made it onto the ice for the post-game player handshake line-up. And the shot by TBay's McDonagh (#27) wasn't intentional or meant to crack Smith-Pelly in the neck. McDonagh's shot was intended as a shot on goal. I don't think Smith-Pelly wanted this to happen either, hoping rather to deflect the shot using his back or shoulder, which at least have some padding. I hope there's no permanent injury.

The game was intense,  despite the score. It didn't begin well for TBay. Caps' Alex Ovechkin nailed one into TBay's net at nearly the outset of the game; putting the Caps up 1 to 0 after the opening minute and two seconds.

The Caps went up 2 to 0 at the 11:01 mark of period two when Andre Burakovsky scored his first goal in the playoffs. About 8 minutes later, Burakovsky got his second goal at the 3:29 mark, with the Caps ahead 3 to 0 at the end of P2.

Period 3 began with TBay down 0 to 3. My belief is that any NHL team can come back from a 0 - 3 deficit in the third period, but it must be done quickly. Once tied, try like heck for that 4th goal, but if not, go into overtime tied and fight for the win.

TBay could not catch a break that would go their way. But more than catching a break, and despite having had many "almosts" to score, whatever it takes to turn "almosts" into reality...TBay just didn't have it in them.

TBay pulled goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy with slightly less than 4 minutes remaining and Caps' Nicklas Backstrom nailed one into the empty net putting the Caps at 4; TBay 0. Good night, Tampa Bay.

The game also featured a major fisticuff between Caps' Tom Wilson and TBay's Braydon Coburn. Here's a link to videos of their brawl.

Game one in a best of seven series for The Stanley Cup  begins tomorrow night with Washington vs LV with games one and two in LV.