What to know about Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final

The Capitals can take firm control of the series with a win. Watch on NBC.

Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final is Monday night in Washington. The Capitals have a 2-1 series lead against the Golden Knights and can put a firm grip on the series with a win.

Puck drops shortly after 8 p.m. ET on NBC, with online streaming available here in the United States. If you’re in Canada, you can watch on Sportsnet, the CBC, or TVA.

Vegas won Game 1 a week ago, but the Capitals gritted out a Game 2 win to even the series and then put a hurting on the Knights in a dominant Game 3 win. That game, back in Washington, was a watershed moment for both the Capitals and local sports in general. It was the franchise’s first home win ever in a Stanley Cup Final, the first time it ever took a series lead in a Cup Final, and the first championship-round home win for a D.C. team since the Bullets beat the SuperSonics in the 1978 NBA Finals. Fans were really into it.

The Capitals have gotten brilliant play all playoffs from Alex Ovechkin and Evgeny Kuznetsov, the Russian national teammates who have found chemistry like never before. They scored the first two of the Caps’ three goals in Game 3, both on plays where the Capitals outclassed Vegas’ defense to set up scoring opportunities.

Vegas’ key this postseason has been goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury. It hasn’t been Fleury’s fault that the Knights have lost their last two games. But he’s still coughed up a 3.42 goals-against average and posted just an .875 save percentage in the Final so far. That won’t be good enough to turn the tide against a more talented opponent. Fleury had a .947 save percentage and 1.68 GAA through the Western Conference playoffs.

We’ll update this post with scores, observations, highlights, and analysis from the press box at Capital One Arena. Enjoy Game 4.