A Lars Eller goal with 7:37 to go gave the Washington Capitals the lead for good, as the Caps took their first Stanley Cup in franchise history with a 4-3 win at Vegas Thursday.
Devante Smith-Pelly scored the equalizer earlier in the third period as the Caps fought their way back from a 3-2 deficit at the end of two periods in Game 5 of the best-of-seven series.
The clincher was scoreless through the first 20 minutes, before a back-and-forth second period that saw the Capitals twice surrender one-goal leads, with the Golden Knights going into the third up 3-2 on a tie-breaking goal by Reilly Smith.
Smith-Pelly connected, leaving his feet to score on a rebound at the 10:08 mark of the third to tie the score at 3-3.
Eller scored the Cup-winner at the 7:37 mark, collecting the puck from behind Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury and sending it into the empty net behind Fleury.
Alex Ovechkin, who scored on a power-play goal in the second period, was named the playoffs MVP, scoring a franchise-record 15 goals in the 2018 postseason.
Caps goalie Braden Holtby, the 2016 Vezina Trophy winner, registered 28 saves in the finale to outduel Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champ who had 29 saves in defeat.
The Capitals won the final four games of the series after dropping the opener in Vegas, winning their 10th game on the road in the 2018 postseason, tying an NHL record.
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