The Capitals try to close out the Stanley Cup on Thursday

Updates will follow here throughout Game 5. Watch on NBC.

The Capitals will win the first Stanley Cup in their 43-year history if they win another game against the Golden Knights. Their first crack is Thursday night in Las Vegas.

Washington takes a 3-1 series lead into Game 5 of this Cup Final. The puck drops at T-Mobile Arena shortly after 8 p.m. ET. You can watch or stream the game on NBC in the United States, with commentators Doc Emrick, Ed Olczyk, and Pierre McGuire. In Canada, the game will be broadcast on CBC, Sportsnet, and TVA.

The Capitals had never won a Stanley Cup Final game in their history until this year, getting swept in their only other appearance, in 1998. They lost Game 1 of this series, too, but evened the series in Game 2 and then took control in back-to-back games at home. Their three wins in the series have come by one, two, and four goals, in that order. They’re trending in the right direction and have eliminated the Knights’ margin for error.

Vegas has reasons to feel somewhat optimistic despite its current predicament. The Golden Knights dominated puck possession in Game 4, which most of them thought was their best performance of the series. They got torched on special teams, giving up three goals in five Washington power-play opportunities. But now they’re coming home, where they expect to get a boost from their boisterous fanbase. They think Marc-Andre Fleury, who’s given up a 4.08 goals-against average in this series, will rise to the challenge for them.

“He’s the best goalie in the league,” center Erik Haula told SB Nation after Game 4. “I’m not worried about him whatsoever. He’s the best player out there, and that’s it.”

If the Capitals win the Cup, the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP will be either Evgeny Kuznetsov or Alex Ovechkin. The two have worked brilliantly together. Kuznetsov’s 30 points are the most in the playoffs, and Ovechkin’s 26 are next. (A third Capital, Nicklas Backstrom, is third in the league with 22.) Kuznetsov has been the most lethal player in this series and seems like he’d deserve the trophy on the merits, but Ovechkin could get it as a sort of lifetime achievement award.

The Capitals have only known playoff disappointment until this spring. Maybe you think they’ll produce more in the next three games. It would be their worst act yet. But this year’s team is different than any that’s come before it, and the Capitals can almost taste silver.

“There’s been heartbreak here,” T.J. Oshie said after his team pushed Vegas to the brink with a 6-2 romp in Game 4. “We know that. But I think that’s scarred us over and made us stronger for it. We’ll keep pressing on, keep working and try to do something cool.”

This post will be updated with scores, highlights, and more throughout the game.