Stanley Cup Final 2018: Capitals vs. Golden Knights Schedule, Players to Watch

The unlikely pair of Stanley Cup finalists with tremendous stories begin the final step in their championship journeys Monday. 

The Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals surprised many with their performances through the first three rounds, which were led by the marquee players on each roster. 

Vegas boasts a bevy of veterans and an incredible postseason goalie, while the Capitals have the biggest superstar in the series on their roster. 

Most of the focus will be on the stars, and rightfully so, as they've performed above and beyond how outside observers thought they would so far in the postseason.

Below is a look at two players from each team that will capture the spotlight right away, and remain in it, during the Stanley Cup final.

Stanley Cup Final Schedule

Monday, May 28

Game 1: Washington at Vegas (8 p.m., NBC) 

Wednesday, May, 30 

Game 2: Washington at Vegas (8 p.m., NBCSN) 

Saturday, June 2

Game 3: Vegas at Washington (8 p.m., NBCSN) 

Monday, June 4

Game 4: Vegas at Washington (8 p.m., NBC) 

Thursday, June 7

Game 5: Washington at Vegas (8 p.m., NBC)*

Sunday, June 10

Game 6: Vegas at Washington (8 p.m., NBC)*

Wednesday, June 13

Game 7: Washington at Vegas (8 p.m., NBC)*

*if necessary

Players To Watch

Reilly Smith 

Any one of the top scorers on the Vegas roster could cause havoc in the Washington defense, but the one to keep an eye on is right winger Reilly Smith. 

Fourteen of the 16 points recorded by Smith have been assists, which means if he is able to achieve success in attack, the Golden Knights should be creating plenty of chances in front of Washington goalie Braden Holtby. 

David Becker/Associated Press

The 27-year-old Canadian occasionally chipped in as a scoring threat, as he has two goals to go along with his 14 assists, but he will mostly be relied upon to set up the scorers in the Golden Knights squad. 

Smith has found plenty of success alongside centers Jonathan Marchessault and William Karlsson, who are the top two postseason scorers for the expansion side. 

As long as Smith is able to find a way past the Washington defense and link up with the scorers on the ice next to him, he should continue his terrific playoff campaign. 

The key for the Golden Knights is to get off to a fast start, which could be powered by Smith, to shake off the rust following an eight-day layoff. 

Marc-Andre Fleury

Although Vegas' offense has played well throughout the postseason, goalie Marc-Andre Fleury is the reason why it is in the Stanley Cup final.

The three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins got the postseason run started by giving up three goals over four games against the Los Angeles Kings. 

David Becker/Associated Press

After 15 postseason contests, Fleury boasts a .947 save percentage and a 1.68 goals against average, both of which lead the league. 

Fleury has plenty of experience against the Capitals from his time with the Penguins, which means he's familiar with the tendencies of some players, especially Alexander Ovechkin. 

As long as he's able to replicate his postseason success in Games 1 and 2 to hand the Golden Knights an early advantage, Gerard Gallant's team should be in position to take a massive lead in the series by winning a game in Washington, D.C. 

Braden Holtby

While Fleury deserves plenty of praise, Holtby enters the Stanley Cup final in strong form of his own. 

Holtby's stats are slightly less impressive than those Fleury's, as he has a .924 postseason save percentage and a 2.08 goals against average. 

Jason Behnken/Associated Press

While it might not be ideal for a goalie entering the championship series to give up more than two goals per game, Holtby's gotten much better over the last few contests, which means the Capitals have plenty of hope to steal a game at T-Mobile Arena. 

Holtby recorded two consecutive shutouts in Games 6 and 7 of the Eastern Conference final against the Tampa Bay Lightning, after letting in three tallies in Game 5. 

Even if Vegas breaches Washington's defensive stronghold in front of net, Holtby should be able to come up with a few key denials to keep the Capitals in position to pounce and win one of the first two games of the series. 

Alexander Ovechkin

The highest-profile player in the series by far is Ovechkin, who is playing in his first Stanley Cup final.

Although some critics may look down on Ovechkin's career because he hasn't hoisted the coveted trophy, the Russian legend has performed well in each of his postseason appearances. 

However, Ovechkin's success hasn't been magnified due to the overall letdown suffered by the Capitals in previous seasons. 

Chris O'Meara/Associated Press

Now that the Capitals have conquered three rounds of Eastern Conference playoff action, they are playing with a wealth of confidence, and Ovechkin is at the forefront of that. 

Ovechkin has 12 goals and 10 assists and is only second to center Evgeny Kuznetsov on the team's postseason points leaderboard. 

If Ovechkin is able to produce a few goals in Las Vegas, he could give the Capitals a chance to play their first game of the series at Capital One Arena level with the Golden Knights. 

If he shines the way he has throughout the first 19 games of the postseason, Ovechkin could easily finish as Most Valuable Player. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Hockey Reference.