Washington Capitals Vegas Golden Knights
T.J. Oshie #77 of the Washington Capitals looks on against the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 1 of the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on May 28, 2018 in Las Vegas. Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

While the NBA Finals features arguably the biggest mismatch in league history, a completely different story is going on in the NHL. The 2018 Stanley Cup Finals is a virtual toss-up after two games between the Vegas Golden Knights and Washington Capitals.

Vegas took the series opener 6-4, and Washington seized home-ice advantage with a 3-2 victory in Game 2 Wednesday night. The Capitals are slight betting favorites to win Game 3 Saturday night at home, though the odds still barely favor the Knights to win the title.

“I think it's really important that we take a step back and take a deep breath and know that you're not going to win this series in two games,” Vegas defenseman Nate Schmidt told reporters after Game 2. “We're a special group. We can go out and win games on the road. We've done it all playoffs.”

Capitals goalie Braden Holtby was terrific in Game 2, saving 37 of 39 shots on goal. He made a game-saving stop on a shot from Alex Tuch that ultimately evened the series at 1-1.

The series could be a high-scoring one, considering the offensive firepower both teams have showcased in the regular season and the playoffs. Washington scored at least four goals in all of their wins during the Eastern Conference Finals, and they averaged 3.5 goals per game in the first two rounds. Prior to Wednesday’s contest, Vegas had averaged 3.5 goals in their last 12 games.

Washington’s Evgeny Kuznetsov and Alex Ovechkin rank first and second, respectively, in total points during the playoffs. Vegas goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury is third in both goals-against average and save percentage.

The Golden Knights were -240 favorites to win the Stanley Cup Finals after taking a 1-0 series advantage. They entered Game 2 with a 6-1 playoff record at home, with their only postseason loss in Las Vegas coming in overtime.

Washington has been terrific on the road this postseason with a 9-3 record. The Capitals are just 4-5 at home in the playoffs.

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