Missed opportunities leave Golden Knights with backs against the wall

By Jesse Granger

Monday, June 4, 2018 | 10:10 p.m.

WASHINGTON — When James Neal’s shot at a wide-open net rang off the far-side goal post and out of harm's way, it was as uplifting for the Washington Capitals as it was deflating for the Golden Knights.

“It probably changes the game,” Neal said. “It’s probably a different game after that. We get the first one. It’s tough … I had a wide-open net, and then I just hit the post. Definitely one I want to have back.”

The Golden Knights controlled play early in Game 4, but after Neal’s misfire the Capitals scored on three of the next seven shots and never looked back. Washington claimed a 6-2 win Monday night at Capital One Arena to take a 3-1 series lead, and push Vegas to the brink of elimination.

“It’s do or die for us — we have no option,” Neal said. “We have to figure out how to put the puck in the net, and we have to do it early. Work for our bounces, and hopefully they go our way, and we’ll continue to play the right way. But just a few plays that we let up on and they’re in the back of our net. But for the most part, I thought we were going.”

Most Vegas players felt it was their best performance of the series, even better than their only win in Game 1. The numbers back them up, where the Golden Knights outshot Washington 30-23 and had a 53-28 CORSI advantage.

“It was frustrating because of the score,” coach Gerard Gallant said. “I thought we played our best period of the final so far. We had two posts, had some good chances and we got nothing out of it. After the first period we came in there and said, ‘Let’s keep going, let’s keep working hard and keep playing well because things can change in a hurry.’”

The Capitals trudged back to their locker room with a commanding 3-0 lead despite being outplayed and outchanced. Vegas had 13 scoring chances in the first 20 minutes compared with only three for Washington.

Many attribute the hot start for Washington to “puck luck,” but Gallant disagrees.

“I heard that last series against us,” he said. “People were saying that and you don’t make excuses. You work hard and (play) your game, and I think tonight's game is a step forward for our group. When you work hard you’re going to get those pucks to go in for you.”

The players agree with Gallant, believing they need to play better and the bounces will go their way.

“You work for your bounces,” Neal said. “There are definitely some plays there that were really close to going on, gone off a couple of skates or (goaltender Braden) Holtby just got a piece of it, a couple of open nets that we just missed, posts. We’re right there, but at the end of the day you have to bury them. No feeling sorry for ourselves, we have to regroup, and like I said if we play that way again we’ll be just fine.”

The Golden Knights aren’t done, but they have run out of room for error. Down 3-1, the next loss will be their last this season.

“We’ve been good at regrouping,” Neal said. “We have to play the same way and then bear down when we have those chances … Go home, win one game, and the pressure is on them.”

In the history of the Stanley Cup Final, teams that take a 3-1 lead are 32-1. The only team to come back from such a deficit was the 1942 Toronto Maple Leafs 76 years ago.

Still, if the Golden Knights can get a win in Game 5 Wednesday night at T-Mobile Arena it could start to creep into the minds of the Capitals. They’ve blown more 3-1 series leads than any other team in the history of major pro sports with five, and are only 2-for-4 when holding a 3-1 series lead since Alex Ovechkin joined the team in 2005.

The pumpkin stem may be protruding through the roof of the Golden Knights’ carriage, and the paint slowly turning orange, but if anyone can keep this Cinderella run alive, it’s the team that’s ripped through every record book they’ve come across.

Do the Golden Knights have any magic left?

“I hope so,” Marc-Andre Fleury said. “Like I said, nobody’s quitting. We’re going home, we’ve had some success there. We just have to focus one period at a time, you know? Don’t think too far ahead. Just play our game and see where that takes us.”