WASHINGTON — Shoves, slashes and taunts filled the final minutes of the Washington Capitals’ 6-2 victory in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday. Capitals center Tom Wilson liked the scene, one instigated by Vegas Golden Knights players who now find themselves one game away from seeing their unlikely run end. “That’s perfect,” Wilson said. “You don’t want the other team to be happy. You want them to be frustrated. That says you’re doing something right. I liked our compete (level)." The Knights’ composure really began to break down with about two minutes remaining as Brayden McNabb took a run at Caps forward T.J. Oshie. McNabb blindsided Oshie into the boards, a collision that left Oshie on the ice for a few moments. McNabb was called for the cross-check and received a misconduct, and the hit could be reviewed by the NHL's department of player safety for potential supplemental discipline. Knights defenseman Deryk Engelland also received a misconduct in the fracas that ensued. Oshie’s night was also over because he received a misconduct, potentially for words directed at referees. "Guys were winning battles," Wilson said. "Guys were sticking up for each other. Guys were playing hard on the body, and that’s what you want this time of year.” More:Capitals crush Golden Knights, are one win from first Stanley Cup More:Oshie comes up short on subway fare but not in Game 4 More:Nationals' Scherzer, Zimmerman show up to support Caps Vegas committed eight penalties for a total of 32 minutes, and Washington scored on three of their five power-play chances. The Capitals had six penalties for 20 minutes and held the Knights scoreless on their four power-play opportunities. Vegas Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant explained in his postgame news conference why Oshie might have been a target: He said Oshie broke Colin Miller’s nose earlier in the third period. “They didn’t see a penalty,” Gallant said. “I think everyone saw it. He gave him a pretty good elbow." The play happened immediately before Michal Kempny gave the Caps a 5-2 lead with six minutes left in the game. Oshie was skating with the puck when he stopped suddenly and Miller careened off him. “I don’t think you ever hope somebody has a broken nose or a broken bone, but sometimes that’s the way it goes,” Oshie said. “I haven’t gotten through these playoffs scot-free. You kind of have to battle for it.” Miller returned to the game after the collision with Oshie. “I imagine he’s going to come back and have a hard game as is the rest of his team,” Oshie said. “I don’t think we’d want it any other way.”<doc-sep>Every game in this year’s Stanley Cup final has featured a definitive turning point, usually coming in the third period. In Monday night’s Game 4 between the Capitals and Golden Knights, that decisive moment happened early—4:31 into the first period, to be exact. Up until that point, the Vegas Knights had dominated play, showing the desperation of a team that could ill afford a third consecutive loss. Capitals players were pinned in their defensive zone; posts behind Washington goalie Braden Holtby were pinged. Vegas earned a power play, and a goal seemed inevitable. And then, James Neal did this: James Neal’s nightmares are now just this on loop pic.twitter.com/nN1lymCfwm — Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) June 5, 2018 With a yawning expanse of open net in front of him—and a second or two to compose himself—the Golden Knights winger somehow shot it off the post. “I thought it was in,” said Holtby later. “Somehow, it didn’t go in.” The game thus remained scoreless, and all of Vegas’s early pressure would be for naught. The Caps went on the power play later in the first period, and T.J. Oshie scored the crucial opening goal. The tenacious Golden Knights continued to press. Moments after NBC commentator Doc Emrick noted that scoring chances were 8-4 in favor of Vegas, Tom Wilson netted Washington’s second goal. Then, with only 21 seconds left in the first period, newly minted postseason hero Devante Smith-Pelly plunged in the dagger: After one, Capitals 3, Golden Knights 0. Vegas would go on to hit several more posts, and even score a couple of goals, but it never recovered. The Caps rolled to a 6-2 victory—six different Caps scored, none of whom are named Alexander Ovechkin—and the team is now one win away from its first Stanley Cup. It was an uncharacteristically stress-free homestand for these Capitals, who came into the final with only a 4-5 record at Capital One Arena this postseason. Saturday’s 3-1 victory in Game 3 was a Holtby gaffe away from being a comfortable shutout. After one period of Monday’s Game 4, the outcome never felt in doubt. The Caps’ first two Stanley Cup home games in 20 years couldn’t have gone much better. Washington gave its notoriously pessimistic fan base little reason to fret over the course of two satisfying wins as it built a 3-1 series lead. “It’s OK to believe” has become the unofficial slogan for the Caps faithful, as much a therapeutic salve as a rallying cry. Perhaps years of playoff failure have made it easier to identify what a winner looks like. The Golden Knights, on the other hand, have no history of losing in the postseason—no history at all, for that matter. After Game 4, coach Gerard Gallant and his players grumbled about the referees and insisted that they didn’t play so poorly. Capitals players have referred to painful losses in years past as necessary steps toward what they’ve accomplished thus far this season. Vegas isn’t yet burdened with playoff ghosts, but it also lacks experience to draw on in the face of its first real bout of adversity. Maybe the Knights will rise to the challenge by staving off elimination at home in Thursday’s Game 5. Or maybe Neal’s Game 4 miss will linger on in infamy the way Esa Tikkanen’s miss in the 1998 Stanley Cup final does for so many longtime Caps fans. Meanwhile, the 2017-18 Caps have a few more demons to slay. No Barry Trotz–coached Capitals team has ever closed out a series in fewer than six games. Historically, Washington has blown five 3-1 series leads, more than any MLB, NBA, or NHL team, the most recent of which came in 2015’s second round. And of course, the Caps have never won a Stanley Cup. But in this postseason, the team has yet to lose when given the opportunity to finish off an opponent. “We haven’t played our best game, which is exciting to me,” said Trotz after Game 4. His superstar echoed the sentiment: “We didn’t play our best game yet,” said Ovechkin. It’s OK to believe that it might come on Thursday night.<doc-sep>#VegasBorn Bryce Harper is in the house: “We’re going to look to go to Game 4 in D.C. next Monday night,” Nationals outfielder and Las Vegas native Bryce Harper told NHL Network last week. “Hopefully we can get there and I’ll definitely be in the No. 81 Marchessault jersey. I have an away white, so looking forward to that.” As promised, with the Nationals off ahead of a two-game series at Nationals Park against the Tampa Bay Rays, Harper was at Capital One Arena and repping the Vegas Golden Knights for Game 4 on Monday. I, for one, am looking forward to the reaction he gets should the Capitals decide to show him on the video board. (Here’s guessing it only happens if Washington is leading by at least a couple of goal late.) – SA<doc-sep>
Three down, one to go. The Capitals are just a victory away from hoisting an elusive Stanley Cup after blasting the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 on Monday night at Capital One Arena. Washington scored three first-period goals and added another in the second period to jump out to an early 4-0 lead. T.J. Oshie got the Caps on the board just 10 minutes in on the power play after using some fancy footwork to hit the puck off his skate and then off his stick into the back of the net on an assist from Evgeny Kuznetsov. Kuznetsov assisted on the next goal as well, scored by Tom Wilson. And Devante Smith-Pelly, who gave the Caps late insurance with his Game 3 goal, scored a near-identical goal to Oshie's in the final minute of the first. Washington's John Carlson blasted a laser past Marc-Andre Fleury on the power play just five minutes into the second to make it 4-0,with Kuznetsov and Oshie assisting. The Capitals tried to make a game of it in the third period, with goals from James Neal and Reilly Smith cutting Washington's lead in half. But Michael Kempny scored just a little over a minute after Smith's goal, and Brett Connolly slammed the door shut with a power-play goal with just under three minutes to go. And now all of Washington awaits an epic celebration if the Caps can close out the expansion Golden Knights back in Las Vegas on Thursday. The Knights, who had never been down in a playoff series in their inaugural season, are just hoping to avoid a gentleman's sweep by the Caps and send the series back to Washington. For all the highlights from Monday's game, check out the recap of our live blog. Then scroll down for the Stanley Cup Final schedule, how to watch information and our staff predictions. If the live blog isn't working, click here. How to watch TV: NBC Stream: fuboTV (Try for free) Follow: CBS Sports App (All times ET) Playoff bracket CBSSports.com illustration by Mike Meredith Predictions Blackburn: I've been picking against the Golden Knights every step of the way and they keep proving me wrong. My head says to take Vegas here -- they've got the hottest goaltender and I love their ability to suffocate teams with speed and pressure on the puck -- but my heart says Capitals. Washington has a wealth of weapons and I just can't bring myself to root against Ovi finally getting his Cup. Capitals in 7. Benjamin: It all comes down to this. Vegas has defied all the odds -- literally, all of them -- thanks to its supreme balance and supreme outings from Marc-Andre Fleury. And if anyone's destined to cap off such a historic run in surreal fashion, it's the Golden Knights. But speaking of destiny, these Capitals won't die, and Alex Ovechkin is grinding his way toward something that's escaped him for far too long. Braden Holtby is on point, which goes a long way, even though this thing should be close. Capitals in 6. Skiver: I've been wrestling with this decision since the Final were set. The expansion Golden Knights or the Capitals, who have seemingly broken the shackles of their playoff curse. This series is about as evenly matched as you could hope for, but I can't pick against Marc-Andre Fleury right now. He's been so good this postseason, and the Golden Knights have been so dominant, it's hard to imagine them losing. The Capitals have been an amazing story this postseason, but when it comes down to a toss-up -- even one involving Alex Ovechkin -- I can't pick against the better net-minder. Golden Knights in 7.