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 described it as "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, and Devante Smith-Pelly scored his third goal of the series to put the team ahead for good with 7:37 to go in the the game. 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. Marc-Andre Fleury, long one of the top goalies in the league, stopped 29 of 33 shots, making several acrobatic saves.

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