So what side should you back? And where does the value lie? Visit , all from the advanced computer model on a red-hot 21-8 NHL run. Imagine telling someone at the Baylor Bears Jersey beginning of the NHL season that the and the seemingly cursed . And yet, here we are, two teams that have defied the odds every step of the way this year. No matter who wins this series, someone is getting their first Cup. The Golden Knights in their inaugural season, or the Capitals in their 44th year. The Golden Knights are looking to top off one of the . An expansion team in today’s league making the Stanley Cup Final, by any metric, should never have happened. But the Golden Knights, led by in the net and offensively this postseason, took down the , and to put themselves in position to do what no one thought po sible at the beginning of the season. Then there’s Washington, and if you can hear that name without thinking “Caps’ year!” then you may need a jump start. The Capitals won their first three series in three equally unexpected different ways. First, they fell down 2-0 to the before storming back to win in six. Then they beat the , a Herculean accomplishment for the Capitals any given year. Then they went up 2-0 on the , lost three in a row, and just when it looked like they were going to choke away a Stanley Cup Final appearance, they won their final two games to advance. No matter who wins this series, it’s a truly remarkable story on both sides. How to watch TV: NBC, NBCS Stream: (Try for free) Follow: (All times ET) Game 1: Game 2 (in Vegas): Game 3 (in Washington): Game 4 (in Washington): Game 5 (in Vegas): Thursday, June 7, 8 p.m. ET (NBC) Game 6 (in Washington): Sunday, June 10, 8 p.m. ET (NBC) Game 7 (in Vegas): Wednesday, June 13, 8 p.m. ET (NBC) Stanley Cup odds Here’s a look at to win the Cup simulations as well as the favorite from Vegas oddsmakers. Matchup breakdown Offense Both of these teams can light it up on the scoreboard, and it’s no accident that the top and fourth-best Abe Schwinn Jersey goal-scoring teams in the NHL find themselves here. The Capitals are scoring at an alarming rate. They have 66 goals this postseason, by far the most of any team, and 3.5 goals per game, tied with Pittsburgh for the most in hockey. has 12 goals this postseason while has 11, and the Capitals are legitimately playing like an offensive powerhouse. The Golden Knights don’t score as many goals, but they have a lot of guys that can put the puck away. Marche sault leads the team with eight goals, while and are behind him with six. In the Final, the Caps get a bump for having bona fide scorers. EDGE: Capitals Defense Defensively, the Capitals’ might be the best player in this series. He’s a shot creator with some goal-scoring ability of his own and he was second on his team behind with 146 blocks. In conjunction with , he creates a back-check that’s very difficult to score on. For Vegas, the first pair is comprised of and , while and make up the second pair. While the Knights don’t nece sarily have the stand-out defender that the Capitals do, they’re about level in terms of depth. and have also been good for the Caps this year, despite a few lapses. Once you dig into the third pairs we’ll see teams start to try to exploit mismatches, as both of these teams are very deep offensively. EDGE: Draw Goaltending Jordan Simone Jersey This is where Vegas has been able to shine this postseason. Marc-Andre Fleury has been nothing short of spectacular. With a save percentage of .947 and a goals-against average of 1.68 (second to among playoff goalies), he’s been a wall. He has allowed fewer goals in three rounds than , or allowed in two. It has been an outstanding postseason for him. On the other side, however, is having himself a little redemption tour. After started the postseason for the Capitals, Holtby has allowed 36 goals in 17 games, including a shutout in a series-clinching Game 7 against the Lightning following a shutout in Game 6. He hasn’t given up a goal in seven periods entering the Final. Much like Ovechkin, Holtby has been through a lot in the past few postseason with the Capitals. He’s getting it done now. EDGE: Golden Knights Special teams The Capitals have had an excellent season on special teams, netting the second-best percentage on penalties this postseason at 28.8 percent. TJ Oshie, Niklas Backstrom , Evgeny Kuznetsov, Alex Ovechkin and John Carlson are, deservedly, one of the most feared units in hockey right now. They’re going up against an excellent penalty kill in the Golden Knights, who are fourth in these playoffs, defending 82.5 percent of penalties succe sfully. They’re not terribly efficient offensively, generally trying to keep games 5-on-5, and they score on only 17.6 percent of chances. The Capitals are also pedestrian defensively, killing 75.4 percent John Sabra Jersey of penalties. If the Knights get into the box, that’s the matchup to watch — and it could be where this series is won or lost. EDGE: Capitals Predictions Lightning-Capitals Pete Blackburn Cody Benjamin Kevin Skiver 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 pre sure 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 to s-up — even Jay Butterfield Jersey one involving Alex Ovechkin — I can’t pick against the better net-minder. Golden Knights in 7.