Alex Ovechkin firmly cemented his name among the greatest to ever play the sport with his first-ever Stanley Cup and Conn Smythe Trophy wins on Thursday.

In adding those two pieces of hardware to his trophy case, Ovechkin joins Wayne Gretzky, Mario Lemieux, and Bobby Orr as the only players in NHL history to win three Hart Trophies (regular-season MVP) and a Conn Smythe.

With a goal in Game 5, Ovechkin now has 117 playoff points to go along with 1,122 during his career in the regular season.

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The Vegas Golden Knights fell just short of taking home the 2018 Stanley Cup title in the club's inaugural season, but that isn't getting in the way of hometown oddsmakers naming the Knights as the second favorite to take home the 2019 crown.

Bookmakers in Vegas have pegged the Tampa Bay Lightning as the team with the best odds to earn next season's championship at 8-1, with the Knights, Nashville Predators, Pittsburgh Penguins, Winnipeg Jets, and Boston Bruins earning the next-best odds at 10-1.

Interestingly enough, the newly minted Cup champion Washington Capitals come in just after that at 12-1.

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Alex Ovechkin may be a rookie when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup, but he's a seasoned veteran when it comes to celebrating.

In his postgame interview with Scott Oake, Ovechkin had a message for Capitals nation:

After years of coming up short, both Ovechkin and Capitals fans are deserving of the championship, and should celebrate accordingly.

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The NBA Finals were on hiatus Thursday night, with the eyes of the sports world focused squarely on Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The expansion Vegas Golden Knights fell short in their effort to extend the series to a sixth game, with the Washington Capitals pulling out a narrow 4-3 victory to win their first cup in dramatic fashion.

A number of NBA players from across the Association took in the action, later congratulating the Capitals and captain Alex Ovechkin for the monumental victory on social media.

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The Washington Capitals can finally call themselves Stanley Cup champions, as their 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday night earned the franchise its first-ever title.

So, naturally, Twitter exploded with love for Alex Ovechkin and Co. Here's a collection of some of the best tweets in the wake of Washington's historic night:

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Alex Ovechkin walked away with not one, but two trophies on Thursday night in Las Vegas.

After tallying 15 goals and 27 points in 24 games en route to the Washington Capitals' Stanley Cup triumph over the Vegas Golden Knights, Ovechkin was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as playoff MVP.

Ovechkin was remarkably consistent throughout the postseason, too, scoring at least three goals in every series. He did more than just score though, as he played with a high level of energy and physicality throughout the entire playoffs, recording 81 hits.

Evgeny Kuznetsov made a strong case for the Conn Smythe with a playoff-leading 32 points, but Ovechkin has been the heart and soul of the Caps since Day 1. It's his team and it's his Conn Smythe.

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Alex Ovechkin has his Cup.

The Washington Capitals overcame a one-goal, third-period deficit to capture their first Stanley Cup in franchise history with a 4-3 win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 on Thursday.

After falling behind two separate times in the second period, the Golden Knights stormed back late in the frame with goals from David Perron and Reilly Smith to head into the final period with a 3-2 lead.

The Capitals, on the back of goals from Devante Smith-Pelly and Lars Eller, re-took the lead in the third period and never looked back. They hung on to claim the franchise's first Cup win in just their second-ever Final appearance.

Ovechkin, unsurprisingly was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as the most valuable player in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, with the win in Vegas, the Capitals become the first team since the 1991 Pittsburgh Penguins to win the Stanley Cup after trailing in all four series.

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Alex Ovechkin broke a club record that was always destined to be his.

With his go-ahead tally in the second period of Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, Ovechkin set the Capitals' franchise record for most goals in a single postseason with 15, passing John Druce.

Druce's 14 goals miraculously came in just 15 games during a 1990 Capitals playoff run that saw them get swept by the Boston Bruins in the conference finals. Oddly enough, Druce only topped 14 goals in three seasons during his 531-game NHL career.

Ovechkin also joined some pretty elite company in the process, becoming the fifth player in the last 25 years to score 15 goals during a playoff run.

Ovechkin already has 12 assists to go along with his 15 goals as he continues to build his case for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

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The Vegas Golden Knights are shuffling their lines, inserting forwards William Carrier and David Perron into their lineup for the club's must-win Game 5 on Thursday night.

More to come.

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The Carolina Hurricanes have made up their mind about who they'll select with the second overall pick in the 2018 draft on June 22.

With Swedish blue-liner Rasmus Dahlin a virtual lock to be taken by the Buffalo Sabres in the top spot, the Hurricanes will choose from the best of the rest. As it stands, Carolina has its sights set on Russian sniper Andrei Svechnikov, general manager Don Waddell told Chip Alexander of the Raleigh News & Observer.

While it's possible Carolina could trade the No. 2 pick, Waddell said he'd only do so for an offer that "blows us away." The Hurricanes haven't received such an offer to this point.

Svechnikov netted 40 goals and added 32 assists in 44 appearances this season with the Barrie Colts of the Ontario Hockey League.

"These kinds of players don't come along that often," Waddell told Bridget Condon of ABC11. "That's why you have to be careful thinking about can we do better in the draft if we do something else. He's a special player and he could make a big impact and be a part of this progress as we move forward for a long time."

Svechnikov spent two days in Raleigh earlier this week, meeting with new head coach Rod Brind'Amour and Hurricanes owner Thomas Dundon.

The Montreal Canadiens own the draft's third selection and are expected to choose among forwards Filip Zadina and Brady Tkachuk, and defenseman Quinn Hughes.

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