Stanley Cup Final Schedule 2018: Capitals vs. Knights Game 1 TV Info, Prediction

A four-day gap in between games on the NHL playoff schedule feels like an eternity, especially with the start of the Stanley Cup Final coming at the end of the break. 

The good thing about the long layoff is both Washington and Vegas are rested for Monday's Game 1, which means we should see a fast-paced first 60 minutes of the series at T-Mobile Arena. 

Vegas cruised through the Western Conference bracket, as it lost just three games in three rounds, while the Capitals overcame a mountain of adversity in each of their Eastern Conference series to advance to the championship showdown. 

Both teams enter with different motivations to win their first Stanley Cup, as Vegas is trying to achieve the unimaginable by winning as an expansion team, while Washington is attempting to erase decades of heartbreak.

Game 1 Information

TV: NBCSN 

Start Time: 8 p.m. ET

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live or NBC Sports app 

Predictions

Vegas Rides Fleury To Game 1 Victory 

With all due respect to Alexander Ovechkin, the player generating the most buzz entering Game 1 should be Vegas goalie Marc-Andre Fleury. 

The three-time Stanley Cup champion with the Pittsburgh Penguins has arguably been the top performer in the postseason, as he recorded a 1.68 goals-against average over 15 games. 

Fleury also tops the NHL postseason chart in save percentage with a mark of .947, as he turned away 478 of the 505 shots he faced. 

John Locher/Associated Press

The 33-year-old delivered standout performances in previous postseasons, but none of them match up to the form he enters the Stanley Cup final in. 

In his 11 trips to the postseason with Pittsburgh, Fleury had a goals-against average below two on one occasion and didn't have a save percentage above .933. 

Fleury's four shutouts for the Golden Knights are already a postseason career high, as he recorded two or more shutouts in just three postseasons with the Penguins. 

Although he's going to face an onslaught from the Capitals, who scored nine straight goals to finish off the Tampa Bay Lightning, Fleury should be up for the task, especially with the home crowd behind him. 

As one of the few players with Stanley Cup experience on his resume, Fleury shouldn't be phased by the moment and will produce a memorable Game 1 performance to put Vegas ahead in the series. 

Holtby Turns In Great Game But Comes Up Just Short Of Win 

The other goalie in the series is pretty damn good as well, as Washington's Braden Holtby comes into the Stanley Cup final with two consecutive shutouts. 

Holtby's numbers aren't as impressive as Fleury's since the 28-year-old played three more games, but his stats of late can't be ignored as the Capitals bring a full load of confidence into Game 1. 

Holtby, who was benched for Philipp Grubauer at the start of the postseason, has a .924 save percentage and 2.04 goals against average through 18 games. 

Pablo Martinez Monsivais/Associated Press

In his six trips to the postseason as a member of the Capitals, Holtby produced a goals-against average under two on three occasions, but the Capitals always fell short of their ultimate goal. 

If Holtby is able to channel the form from the end of the Eastern Conference final in Game 1, the Capitals should be able to hang around for two periods. 

With Fleury and Holtby trading saves on their respective sides of the ice, Game 1 should be a low-scoring affair. 

Although Holtby will put himself in position to earn his third straight shutout, he won't as the versatile Vegas attack comes to life in the third period to take the early advantage in the series. 

Follow Joe on Twitter, @JTansey90.

Statistics obtained from Hockey Reference.