Stanley Cup Final Schedule 2018: Capitals vs. Knights Game 2 TV Info, Prediction

If Game 1 is any indication of a trend, then the 2018 Stanley Cup Final should be a phenomenal series.

The Vegas Golden Knights took the early series lead on the Washington Capitals in a game Monday that featured a ton of speed, nonstop back-and-forth action and plenty of scoring chances at both ends. Game 2 in Sin City should be exciting as the intensity should only be elevated even more.

Stanley Cup Finals Game 2 Schedule

When: Wednesday, May 30, at 8 p.m. ET

Television: NBCSN

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live

Game 2 Preview

Goaltending has arguably been the biggest strength of both teams, with Marc-Andre Fleury entering the series sporting a 12-3 record, a sparkling 1.68 goals-against average and a .947 save percentage in the postseason. On the other hand, Braden Holtby was coming off consecutive shutouts of the NHL's highest-scoring team in the Tampa Bay Lightning. His career numbers had also been fantastic with a GAA around two, making his Game 1 numbers very unusual, per SportsNet Stats:

Yet, not counting an empty-net goal, Vegas and Washington combined for nine goals on just 61 shots in Game 1, giving the offenses a high 14.8 shooting percentage in the contest (the regular-season average was 9.3).

Maybe with the exception of the Capitals' fourth goal, when Fleury knocked the puck in off his own leg, none of the goals were squarely on the goaltenders. Instead, a mix of skilled puck movement, deflections in front and sloppy defensive zone play were the main causes of the scoring parade.

Perhaps there were some nerves in the opening game of the Stanley Cup Final, but both teams were frequently guilty of chasing the puck, bunching up in their defensive zone and leaving guys wide-open in dangerous scoring areas. This is not typical of championship teams, so who is more likely to shore up defensively?

The Golden Knights are allowing 33.3 shots per game this postseason, the most of any team that made the conference finals. It is also a much higher average than the Capitals, who rank second in the playoffs with 28.5 shots allowed per night behind the Pittsburgh Penguins, whom they beat in six games.

With five guys playing at least 19 minutes per game, Vegas may have a bit more depth to roll out defensively, as Washington relies heavily on John Carlson, Matt Niskanen and Dmitry Orlov to each play around 25 minutes a night. However, none of Vegas' defensemen are as good as Washington's top three.

This has led to the Golden Knights giving up plenty of scoring chances throughout the postseason, but they have had Fleury to bail them out. Meanwhile, the Capitals stifled three elite offensive teams in the Columbus Blue Jackets, the Lightning and the Penguins. 

His play this postseason suggests it is unlikely, but there is also a chance Fleury could struggle again in this series given his career numbers in the Stanley Cup Final entering Game 1, via SportsNet Stats:

The evidence points to Washington as the team more likely to improve defensively, and the Capitals should be plenty motivated to earn a split before heading back home for Game 3 on Saturday. Vegas' style of play ensures that it will always be in every game it plays, but the Capitals have been too good this postseason to put up back-to-back sloppy performances.

Look for Washington to tie this series up Wednesday.