NHL Playoff Bracket 2018: TV, Live-Stream Schedule for Stanley Cup Final

In some shape or form, history will be made in the Stanley Cup Final.

For the first time since 2007, a franchise will win its inaugural Stanley Cup. The 2018 NHL playoffs have provided the hockey world with two incredible storylines, featuring the expansion Vegas Golden Knights and the notoriously snakebitten Washington Capitals and their generational superstar.

Both teams have plenty of time to rest up for the season's final series, with the matchup beginning on Memorial Day, Monday.

2018 Stanley Cup Finals Schedule

All start times are at 8 p.m. ET.

All games can be live-streamed on NBC Sports Live.

Game 1: Capitals at Golden Knights on Monday, May 28 (NBC)

Game 2: Capitals at Golden Knights on Wednesday, May 30 (NBCSN)

Game 3: Golden Knights at Capitals on Saturday, June 2 (NBCSN)

Game 4: Golden Knights at Capitals on Monday, June 4 (NBC)

Game 5: Capitals at Golden Knights on Thursday, June 7 (NBC)

Game 6: Golden Knights at Capitals on Sunday, June 10 (NBC)

Game 7: Capitals at Golden Knights on Wednesday, June 13 (NBC)

Series Preview

Washington has never had great playoff success and is going to its first Stanley Cup Final since 1998. However, the narrative for these Capitals starts and ends with Alex Ovechkin.

The Russian sniper is undoubtedly the greatest goal scorer of his generation, but playoff wins have been historically elusive for a player of his caliber, as ESPN Stats & Info pointed out:

For much of his career, Ovechkin has been labeled as a disappointment in the playoffs. After all, this is the first time in his 13-year NHL career he has advanced past the second round of the postseason.

Yet he has been excellent offensively in the playoffs, racking up 111 points in 115 career games. And after scoring the opening, and game-winning, goal in Wednesday's Game 7 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning, Ovechkin padded already fantastic numbers in the biggest games of his life, per ESPN.com's Greg Wyshynski:

Ovechkin has a chance to cement himself as one of the greatest players ever by winning a Stanley Cup, but he will have to do so against a fairytale opponent.

Vegas is the ultimate Cinderella story as the first expansion team to reach the Stanley Cup Final since 1968, when there were only 12 teams in the league, and it has done so by utilizing a surprising amount of depth and team speed.

The Golden Knights top line of William Karlsson, Jonathan Marchessault and Reilly Smith leads the offense, combining for 47 points this postseason after totaling 213 in the regular season. Yet they can deploy four effective lines and are tenacious on the forecheck.

This helps cover up a defense that is solid but can be vulnerable to giving up chances. Vegas easily topped the four conference finals teams with 33.7 shots allowed per game this postseason, but goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury has continually bailed out his team.

The netminder is the no-brainer Conn Smythe Trophy finalist, boasting a 12-3 record, 1.68 goals-against average and an all-time save percentage, per Sportsnet Stats:

Vegas relies on creating turnovers and dysfunction with its forecheck to prevent opponents from developing any rhythm in their passing and stopping clean entries through the neutral zone. On paper, the Golden Knights have not possessed the overall talent throughout the lineup of their opponents, but their fast and disciplined system has allowed them to prevail.

Washington has downed two straight elite teams that play the same sort of style but pack more offensive punch than Vegas. Issues with blue-line depth have not yet hurt the Capitals, as they have three defensemen in John Carlson, Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov playing around 25 minutes per game. The team has been smart on the breakout to get the puck out quick, thus preventing its defense from being worn down by sustained pressure.

A similar strategy should cause problems for Vegas, as Nicklas Backstrom, Evgeny Kuznetsov, Ovechkin and company can attack the Golden Knights defense. But could fatigue come into play? It is possible, as the Capitals have played 19 games to Vegas' 15, while the latter will also have had three extra days of rest before the Stanley Cup Final.

Assuming Fleury keeps up a similar level of play, he and Braden Holtby, who holds a career 2.03 GAA and .929 save percentage in the postseason, should wash out in net. It is Vegas' forecheck that gives it a slight edge, as no team has been able to overcome it thus far. Until that happens, the Golden Knights are tough to pick against.

Still, Washington has been bucking trends all playoffs, and they have the horses to potentially end Vegas' magic. Whether it does remains to be seen, but expect an epic battle for the Stanley Cup nonetheless.

Statistics are courtesy of NHL.com unless otherwise noted.