The New York Islanders have dismissed general manager Garth Snow and head coach Doug Weight, with president of hockey operations Lou Lamoriello assuming the GM role, the club announced Tuesday.

Lamoriello will immediately begin the process of finding the team's next head coach.

He joined the Islanders in late May after leaving the Toronto Maple Leafs.

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A Connor McDavid rookie card was recently sold via an online auction for $55,655 USD, a new record for a modern card, according to PWCC Marketplace.

The modern era consists of cards produced since 1986, and the most lucrative collectible prior to "The Cup Connor McDavid Rookie Auto Patch" from Upper Deck fetched $18,100 - another McDavid card.

With a $12.5-million salary set to kick in next season, McDavid himself could purchase 224 copies of the ultra-valuable card.

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As we approach the climax of the Stanley Cup Final and the NHL season as a whole, it's time to take one more look at the top contenders for the Conn Smythe Trophy.

The Washington Capitals find themselves on the cusp of the first Stanley Cup championship in franchise history, holding a 3-1 series lead. Consequently, four of the five front-runners for playoff MVP sport red, white, and blue.

Here's where we stand after the Capitals' convincing win over the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 4 on Monday:

5. Nicklas Backstrom

Backstrom has flown under the radar in these playoffs thanks to the stellar performances of some of his teammates, but his terrific play-making ability has undoubtedly been a factor in Washington's Cup run.

The Swedish center missed four games due to injury, but he's excelled when healthy. He's provided steady production on the Capitals' second line, alongside a nearly equally productive T.J. Oshie, giving Washington a lethal top-six.

4. Marc-Andre Fleury

Fleury was the Conn Smythe favorite for most of this postseason, and he has been the biggest reason for the Golden Knights' success, but he's looked human lately.

The veteran netminder was simply overwhelmed Monday night, allowing six goals on 23 shots, and he's given up 16 in the four Cup Final games.

Had Fleury continued to play lights-out, he would have remained a Conn Smythe favorite, even in a losing effort, but his play has simply slipped.

3. Braden Holtby

Holtby has made his fair share of game-saving stops throughout the Capitals' run, none more memorable than "The Save" in Game 2 versus Vegas. He's had a few hiccups, sure, but the former Vezina winner has been outstanding on the whole.

Fleury still holds an edge in the save percentage department because of how good the Golden Knights goalie was for most of the playoffs, but Holtby has allowed only five goals in the last three games.

If Holtby continues to stymie Vegas the way he has for most of this series, he'll have a legitimate case.

2. Alex Ovechkin

Ovechkin's pursuit of a long-elusive title is arguably the best story of the playoffs, and he's one of the biggest reasons the Capitals are on the verge of winning it all.

The "Great Eight" is tied with Winnipeg Jets forward Mark Scheifele for the postseason lead in goals. He's scored two in the Cup Final to go along with a pair of assists.

Ovechkin, the heart and soul of his club for more than a decade, has always shouldered a disproportionate amount of blame for Washington's playoff failures. But now, with the tables turned, it's time to give credit where it's due.

1. Evgeny Kuznetsov

Kuznetsov has simply been the best player in these playoffs.

Ovechkin has been the Capitals' leader and top scorer. Holtby has been excellent for the most part, and exceptional at key moments. However, Kuznetsov has been the best, leading all skaters in playoff points and trailing only Ovechkin and the vanquished Scheifele in goals.

Another four-point game for Kuznetsov on Monday night - his second such effort and fourth game with at least three points in this postseason - made him the clear favorite to win the Conn Smythe.

Would it be a crime to give the award to Ovi, or even to Holtby? No. But it should be Kuznetsov's to lose, whether he cares about it or not.

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It hardly matters after the fact, but the Vegas Golden Knights certainly had early chances to potentially change the outcome of a 6-2 loss in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The game's best chance early on fell on the stick of James Neal, one of the best pure shooters in the league. With the game scoreless, he faced a wide-open cage with Braden Holtby and the Capitals' defense at his mercy.

He rung the post. After the game, he lamented that things would have been much different had he converted.

"On this stage, at that moment, it changes the game," Neal said, per Sportsnet's Luke Fox.

Washington opened the scoring shortly after with a power-play tally, which would set the wheels in motion. Neal struggled to come to grips with his inexplicable miss.

"Man, you want those chances," he said. "Nine times out of 10, you probably put that in the back of the net. It's like I had the composure to wait, and then you shoot it, and you're like 'Oh,' and the way it hit the post and still came out? I mean, it's ... I don't know, it's tough. It's not like anyone made a save. I had a wide-open net, and then I just hit the post."

The Capitals went on to score three more unanswered goals en route to a convincing win despite the Golden Knights controlling the pace for much of the game.

Neal buried his sixth of the postseason in the third period, but it's certainly not the one on his mind as the series shifts back to Vegas for Game 5.

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WASHINGTON – Asked if he’d given winning the Conn Smythe Trophy any thought, Evgeny Kuznetsov shook his head and grinned. Not a chance.

He’ll take a Stanley Cup victory, though.

The Washington Capitals routed the Vegas Golden Knights 6-2 in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday to take a commanding 3-1 lead. They’ll have a chance to claim their first championship in the franchise’s 43-year history on Thursday in Game 5 at T-Mobile Arena.

Kuznetsov hasn’t thought that far ahead, either.

"I never been there, you know? And I don't really care about that yet, so it's kind of easy for me," Kuznetsov said. "You know me, I always stay loose a little bit especially off the games. I'm pretty sure when game gonna come, we're gonna a little bit think about it. It's pretty hard to not think about that."

A front-runner for the Conn Smythe, Kuznetsov assisted on four of Washington’s six goals in Game 4 and has 31 points in 23 games. And while he has 12 goals this postseason, he’s just fine with getting the assists, too.

"He has a huge effect on every game," linemate Tom Wilson said. "It’s not easy to be a star in the league, have to bring it every night. It’s the wear and tear, you’re playing big minutes. He’s the kind of guy that doesn’t care. He just keeps going."

Vegas came out swinging in the early parts of Game 4, but James Neal hitting the post on a wide-open net in the first period underscored their frustration. The Capitals led 3-0 by the end of the opening stanza.

(Photo courtesy: Getty Images)

"I’ve been on the other side of that and it’s deflating," Capitals defenseman Brett Connolly said of Neal’s miss. "They played well early. They came at us and they’re not gonna stop."

Neal and Reilly Smith scored in the third to narrow the deficit to 4-2, but the Capitals responded with two more goals to send the Golden Knights’ Cinderella season to the brink of a heartbreaking end.

"It could have been a different hockey game if they scored on their power play so we got a little lucky there and I don’t know maybe it shouldn’t have been a 3-0 lead after the first, but you know we will take it," Capitals forward Nicklas Backstrom said. "We are not going to feel sorry for them."

The third period was punctuated by "We Want the Cup" chants from the crowd at Capital One Arena. Outside, streets were filled with thousands of fans chanting the same thing. Kuznetsov said the players heard that and fed off it, too.

"That's always emotional stuff and give us a lot of positive energy," Kuznetsov said. "But we feel their energy. I don't want to lie. Sometimes you feel when people cheering against you, you feel the energy too. In this playoff we're not very good at home, but in this series we keep the crowd happy. That's big thing for us."

What the Capitals did in Game 4, and what they’ll have to do in Game 5, is the same thing they’ve done this entire postseason - show up when it matters most.

"When it mattered we were able to get it done," coach Barry Trotz said. "And that’s what this team has done over the course of the playoffs. Even when we’re maybe not at our best we’ve been able to get it done and when it mattered we’ve been able to get it complete."

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After taking a 1-0 series lead, the Vegas Golden Knights have dropped three straight games and are now a single loss away from watching the Washington Capitals claim their first-ever Stanley Cup.

The Golden Knights are now the 34th team in NHL history to fall behind 3-1 in the Cup Final, and in the 33 previous instances, only once has a team come back to win it all.

The lone time being in 1942 when the Toronto Maple Leafs overcame a 3-0 series deficit against the Detroit Red Wings, winning four straight to capture their fourth Stanley Cup in franchise history.

If there is any reason for the Golden Knights to be optimistic, it is Washington's record when leading a series 3-1, where they are just 7-5. To put that into perspective, the rest of the NHL have a combined record of 269-23 in those instances.

The Golden Knights' daunting task of prolonging the series starts when they return home for Game 5 on Wednesday.

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The Vegas Golden Knights' performance in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final was proof that Corsi - and other advanced metrics - mean nothing in a one-game sample size.

The Golden Knights generated 65.4 percent of the game's shot attempts at even strength (Corsi For percentage), but lost 6-2. They also outchanced the Capitals 23-14, and had 12 high-danger scoring chances compared to Washington's five.

So, what went wrong?

For starter's, their defensive zone coverage was abysmal. Six goals against would lead one to believe that Marc-Andre Fleury was the problem, but for the most part, he was hung out to dry. Capitals players were routinely left wide-open in the offensive zone, which is why they were able to capitalize on their chances.

They also lost the special teams battle, which isn't factored into most advanced metrics, since the majority are calculated at even strength. The Capitals went 3-for-5 on the power play - partly due to some of the aforementioned defensive-zone lapses - while Vegas was 0-for-4 with the man advantage.

Moreover, in the third period, when the Capitals were supposed to be weathering a 20-minute storm while preserving the lead, the Golden Knights failed to apply the pressure, generating just four even-strength shots on goal in the final frame.

Here is what makes a stat like Corsi flawed: While shot attempts are a good way to indicate offensive-zone puck possession, it means nothing unless those shot attempts are actually getting through. They had 71 shot attempts in the game, but only 30 on goal.

Corsi and other advanced metrics are great over a full season, where trends can be predicted, and puck luck tends to even out, but in playoff hockey, that all goes out the window. The victory formula in the postseason is about doing the little things right, taking advantage of the chances you do get, and winning the goaltending battle. The Capitals did all of these in Game 4, and are one win away from the Stanley Cup as a result.

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Colin Miller had good reason to be upset after Michal Kempny's third-period goal gave the Washington Capitals a 5-2 lead on Monday.

Capitals forward T.J. Oshie rocked the Vegas Golden Knights defender with a hit that broke his nose, head coach Gerard Gallant revealed at his postgame press conference, according to Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.

The lone good news for Vegas is that Miller didn't miss any playing time after the hit, needing just a couple plugs to help stop the bleeding.

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