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WASHINGTON CAPITALS vs. VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS
CONFERENCE FINALS: Capitals beat Tampa Bay Lightning in 7. Golden Knights beat Winnipeg Jets in 5.
SEASON SERIES: Vegas 2-0.
STORY LINE: The Capitals finally made the Stanley Cup Final with Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom after losing in the first or second round in their past nine playoff appearances. This team was considered weaker on paper than the past two years when Washington won the Presidents’ Trophy and lost to the eventual Cup-champion Pittsburgh Penguins. Ovechkin has a career-high 22 points on 12 goals and 10 assists after leading the NHL with 49 goals during the regular season. Linemate Evgeny Kuznetsov has a franchise-record 24 playoff points through 19 games Robbie Gould Jersey , including the overtime series winner against Pittsburgh. Goaltender Braden Holtby did not start the first two games of the playoffs but is 12-6 with a 2.04 goals-against average and .924 save percentage since replacing Philipp Grubauer. Coach Barry Trotz does not have a contract for next season but has arguably done the best job of his 19-year career. Trotz had not made it past the second round until this year. … Vegas general manager George McPhee spent 17 years in that job with the Capitals from 1997-2014. He was GM when they last made the final in 1998 but is also responsible for acquiring 14 players on the current roster and was succeeded by long-time friend and colleague Brian MacLellan. Vegas in the Cup Final in its inaugural season, the first to do it since the 1967-68 St. Louis Blues when all six expansion teams were in the same division. The expansion Golden Knights have lost only three games through three rounds thanks to the play of goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury and the top line of Jonathan Marchessault, William Karlsson and Reilly Smith. Fleury has a 1.68 GAA and .947 save percentage a year after helping the Penguins win the Cup. Former Capitals defenseman Nate Schmidt leads Vegas in ice time at almost 25 minutes a game.
WASHINGTON’S KEY PLAYER: Ovechkin. This is the chance to shed the label as hockey’s greatest player who has never won the Cup. He has looked like a man on a mission all playoffs, throwing his body around and producing at a level that has lifted the Capitals to new heights. MacLellan believes this is the most within the system Ovechkin has ever played a season after scoring just 33 goals with the benefit being a long playoff run.
VEGAS’ KEY PLAYER: Fleury. The 33-year-old first face of the new franchise has been as advertised and then some, especially in the playoffs. Fleury frustrated Los Angeles, San Jose and Winnipeg on the way to the final and is having some of the best success of his career. He already eliminated the Capitals in 2009 and 2017 on the way to winning the Cup and will have to be at his best to do it again.
GAME 1: Monday, 8 p.m. Eastern.
PREDICTION: Capitals in 7.
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– AP Hockey Writer Stephen Whyno.
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More Stanley Cup coverage: Dallas Cowboys linebacker Sean Lee fired back at free agent receiver Dez Bryant on Friday after his former teammate called him a "snake" on Twitter while suggesting Lee played a role in the club's decision to release its career leader in touchdown catches.
The exchange was prompted by a radio station's tweet from an interview with executive vice president of personnel Stephen Jones. He suggested that quarterback Dak Prescott felt pressure to get the ball to Bryant.
"First thing, to say that I can get anybody off the team and have any input on a roster is absurd Authentic Paul Worrilow Jersey ," Lee said. "The second thing, I love Dez and I want the best for him.
"You know, to be honest, we did butt heads, because I wanted Dez to be more accountable to this team and his teammates. To be honest with you, a lot of the team felt that way. I think he needs to look at himself and hold himself accountable."
In an expletive-laden response to the radio station's tweet, Bryant criticized the team's play-calling. A second tweet suggested "my brother snake Lee I mean Sean Lee" and center Travis Frederick had a hand in the decision to release Bryant.
Frederick said it wasn't reasonable to think a fifth-year player, which he is http://www.lionsauthorizedshops.com/authentic-da_shawn-hand-jersey ;, could wield influence on roster decisions.
"It's certainly disappointing," Frederick said. "It's disappointing when you hear guys turn against each other, but I think in the end Dez was a great teammate of mine and I'd still consider him a friend."
The radio station's original tweet didn't include all of Jones' quote, leaving out a portion that made a reference to tight end Jason Witten. The club's leader in catches and games retired after 15 seasons to go into broadcasting. The station sent a subsequent tweet with the portion about Witten.
"He's gotta trust the system, which at times last year, there was pressure, with Dez in his ear and to some degree Jason in his ear," Jones said in the radio interview. "Those great players want the ball."
Later Cardinals Authentic Jerseys , Jones said he didn't intend to criticize Bryant.
"You got great players like Dez and Witten, they want the ball," Jones said at Cowboys camp. "Everybody sees it. It's on every team. They let the quarterback know that sometimes. In no way was it intended to be negative."
Jones wouldn't discuss whether the front office solicited the opinions of players before releasing Bryant in April. Owner Jerry Jones said then, "We arrived at this crossroad collectively with input from several voices within the organization."
The owner's comments prompted a reply on twitter from Bryant, who wrote that was "something he already knew." In interviews later that day, Bryant suggested that team captains and "Garrett guys," in reference to coach Jason Garrett, played a role in his release.
After seeing reports of Lee's response Friday Customized Philadelphia Eagles Jerseys , Bryant wrote on Twitter, "he sat right across from me.. everything he said he could have addressed with me...sounds like a back stabber to me."
Bryant's release came after three sub-par seasons following the $70, five-year contract he signed after his only All-Pro season in 2014. Cleveland has shown interest in signing him in recent days.
Stephen Jones said he believes Bryant knows the Cowboys still have positive feelings for the three-time Pro Bowl player. Bryant's 73 touchdowns are two more than Hall of Famer Bob Hayes.
"Obviously these are tough times in terms how this has turned out," Stephen Jones said. "Dez is thinking about his future and certainly not easy on anybody. No one knows more about what I think of Dez than me."
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