STANLEY CUP FINAL TO BEGIN MONDAY IN EITHER LAS VEGAS OR TAMPA
The 2018 Stanley Cup Final will begin Monday, May 28, with the host city to be determined by the outcome of Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final on Wednesday.

If the Lightning advance, they will host Game 1 against the Golden Knights at AMALIE Arena in Tampa on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

If the Capitals advance, they will play Game 1 on the road against the Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

HOLTBY, CAPITALS BLANK LIGHTNING TO FORCE GAME 7
Braden Holtby turned aside all 24 shots he faced and T.J. Oshie scored twice to help the Capitals stave off elimination and force Game 7 against the Lightning.

* Holtby, who posted his first shutout of the season (regular-season and playoffs), became the second goaltender in franchise history to record a shutout in an elimination game, joining Semyon Varlamov who did so in Game 5 of the 2009 Conference Quarterfinals against the Rangers – a series the Capitals won in seven games.

* Holtby became the seventh goaltender in NHL history to record his first shutout of the season (regular-season and playoffs) in a playoff game in which his team was facing elimination.

* Holtby improved to 11-6 in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs (2.16 GAA, .919 SV%, 1 SO) and moved within one win of matching the franchise record for most in a postseason by a goaltender, a mark set by Olie Kolzig in Washington’s run to the 1998 Stanley Cup Final (12-9). He also registered his fifth career playoff shutout, one shy of tying Kolzig (6) for the most in club history.

* Evgeny Kuznetsov assisted on the winning goal to extend his point streak to nine games (6-8—14) and match the franchise record for longest in a postseason, a mark set by Nicklas Backstrom in the 2009 Stanley Cup Playoffs (3-8—11).

DID YOU KNOW?
Washington will play in its 11th Game 7 since the beginning of the 2008 Stanley Cup Playoffs, the most among all teams in that span.

* Nicklas Backstrom and Alex Ovechkin are set to make their 11th career Game 7 appearances, one shy of Zdeno Chara (12) for the most among active NHL players. In addition to Chara, only five other players in NHL history have appeared in more Game 7s: Patrick Roy (13), Scott Stevens(13), Glenn Anderson (12), Ken Daneyko (12) and Stephane Yelle (12).

GAME 7 QUICK HITS
This marks the 33rd time in NHL history that a Game 7 will be required to determine a Stanley Cup finalist. Home teams own a 21-11 edge in the previous 32 such contests.

Of the 171 all-time Game 7s in the Stanley Cup Playoffs:

* The team that scores first is 127-44 (.743), including a 1-1 mark in 2018.

* Home teams own a 100-71 (.585) advantage, including a 1-1 record in 2018.

* Forty-one have required overtime (24.2%). Home teams have a 21-20 edge.

QUICK CLICKS

· Chris Kunitz not surprised by Marc-Andre Fleury's playoff success with Golden Knights (via Mike Zeisberger)

· Marc-Andre Fleury posting all-time playoff numbers for Golden Knights

· Wild name Paul Fenton general manager

· Blues arena renamed Enterprise Center

SNEAK PEEK AT WEDNESDAY’S ACTION
The Lightning will host the Capitals in the third Game 7 of the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Tampa Bay owns a 5-2 record in seven all-time Game 7s (3-0 at home), while Washington is 4-11 (1-3 on road).

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