Washington Capitals defenseman Brooks Orpik doesn't appear to have sustained an injury following a hit by Vegas Golden Knights forward James Neal that forced him to leave Game 3 midway through the third period.

"I'm not too concerned," Capitals coach Barry Trotz told Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press. "He's fine."

Orpik left the ice following the hit, and some wondered whether he was undergoing the league's concussion protocol after hitting his face on the ice.

The veteran defender is a frequent critic of the analytics crowd, but there has been no denying his value this postseason. He's averaged nearly 17 minutes of ice time a game, while he's also chipped in a game-winning goal.

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It's safe to say Shea Theodore will have trouble sleeping tonight.

The Vegas Golden Knights' defenseman turned in a forgettable performance in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night, making a handful of costly gaffes, and looked completely disengaged at times.

Here he is (No. 27 in white) on the Capitals' second goal of the game, fanning on the shot, then making a poor decision to pinch at the blue line, leading to Evgeny Kuznetsov's goal on an odd-man rush.

Seven minutes after his poorly-timed pinch, Theodore submits his candidate for worst play of the night. He gets absolutely worked here by Matt Niskanen. Either he wasn't aware Niskanen was right on his tail, or just assumed Marc-Andre Fleury would've came out earlier to play the puck. Either way, this lack of hustle drives a coach crazy, and it forced Fleury to take a desperation tripping penalty to save a goal.

After Braden Holtby's awful giveaway put the Golden Knights within one, Theodore decides to channel his inner Betty Crocker and cooks up a nice hot batch of turnovers. This one comes as the last man back, and leads directly to Devante Smith-Pelly's dagger.

Games such as this aren't uncommon for 22-year-old defensemen, but in the Stanley Cup Final, a performance such as this is magnified.

Theodore is one of the game's best young D-men and has a very bright future ahead. However, Vegas relies on him to play big minutes, so he'll need to be much better if the Golden Knights are going to come back in this series.

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WASHINGTON (AP) Alex Ovechkin went airborne, Evgeny Kuznetsov flapped his arms like a bird of prey and the Washington Capitals are flying high, just two wins away from winning the Stanley Cup.

Ovechkin dived to score his 14th goal of the playoffs and raised his arms in joy when Kuznetsov beat Marc-Andre Fleury and broke out his signature bird celebration in a second period the two Russians will long remember. Led by their two best players, the Capitals beat the Vegas Golden Knights 3-1 Saturday night to take a 2-1 lead in the best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final.

Fired up in the first Cup Final game in Washington since 1998, the Capitals unloaded chance after chance on Fleury, who made 23 saves but couldn't backstop a frazzled, disjointed team that lost two games in a row for the first time in the playoffs. At the other end, Braden Holtby gifted Tomas Nosek a goal by giving the puck away but stopped the other 21 shots he faced from the Golden Knights, who looked nothing like the winners of 13 of their first 16 playoff games through the first three rounds.

The Golden Knights' historic run in its inaugural season is now in danger of coming to an end with Game 4 back in Washington on Monday night. The Capitals are seeking their first title in their 43-year history.

Holtby was there when the Capitals needed him, but they didn't need him much because they were on the attack for much of the game. Fleury stopped Ovechkin on a 2-on-1 rush early and the superstar captain was at his best early.

In his first home Cup Final game, Ovechkin attempted eight shots in the first period and scored a goal that seemed inevitable. It came 1:10 into the second period when Ovechkin went full-extension over Vegas defenseman Brayden McNabb to reach the rebound and backhanded the puck past Fleury.

Ovechkin's 14th goal of the playoffs matched John Druce's franchise record set in 1990 and tied him for the league lead in these playoffs.

His joy overflowed on the bench when Kuznetsov showed his injured left arm is just fine by scoring on a perfect wrist shot on an odd-man rush. Ovechkin looked to the ceiling with his arms extended as he was hugged by Lars Eller.

''He's so emotional about playing for the Cup,'' coach Barry Trotz said of Ovechkin. ''You can tell by the expressions on his face all the time, his emotion. One thing you can see is Alex keeps his emotions on his sleeve. It's on the outside. It's not on the inside. You know exactly what he's thinking.''

Capitals fans who have watched heartbreak after playoff heartbreak easily could've been thinking the worst when Vegas scored early in the third period. Holtby - well-aware of the Golden Knights' ability to cross up opposing goaltenders - had his puck-handling attempt intercepted by Bellemare. The puck skittered to Nosek for an easy goal.

Vegas built some momentum, but Devante Smith-Pelly gave the Capitals an insurance goal with 6:07 left - his fourth of the playoffs - after Jay Beagle took the puck away from Shea Theodore on the forecheck and found his teammate skating in alone on Fleury.

''I've always loved the playoffs,'' Smith-Pelly said. ''I love scoring the big goals. I don't know what it is, but these kinds of games are the most fun to play in.''

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More Stanley Cup coverage: https://apnews.com/tag/StanleyCupFinals

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The Arizona Coyotes want to make it very difficult for Oliver Ekman-Larsson to walk away from the desert.

Following a report last month that indicated the two sides are discussing an eight-year extension worth north of $8 million a season, it's fair to say the team is pulling out all the stops to re-sign its star blue-liner.

"We've been very clear that we're willing to do whatever we possibly can to have him come back," Coyotes general manager John Chayka told Adam Kimelman of NHL.com. "(We) think he's a heck of a defenseman, heck of a player, heck of a person.

"Really believe in him and what he can bring to our team. Trying to get something done to lock him up long, long term. Build around him and really put together a team he deserves."

Moves to appease OEL started last season, when the Coyotes recruited Ekman-Larsson's brother, Kevin, to suit up for their minor-league club.

The team also acquired fellow Swedish defenseman Niklas Hjalmarsson from the Chicago Blackhawks, a move that came at Ekman-Larsson's request.

Ekman-Larsson has spent his entire career with the Coyotes, tallying 290 points in 576 games. He finished last season with 14 goals and 28 assists across 82 appearances.

The 26-year-old is entering the last year of his current contract that carries a $5.5-million cap hit. He can re-sign with Arizona as soon as July 1.

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Washington Capitals forward Evgeny Kuznetsov will be back in the lineup for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Vegas Golden Knights.

Kuznetsov left early into Game 2 with an upper-body injury after he was on the receiving end of a hit by Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb.

On Saturday morning, the Capitals forward took part in pregame line rushes in his usual spot between Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson.

Kuznetsov sits atop the playoff scoring race with 25 points in 21 games.

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Evgeny Kuznetsov's status for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final won't be determined until shortly before puck drop.

“I don’t know,” the Washington Capitals center told reporters, including NHL.com's Tom Gulitti, when asked whether he'll play against the Vegas Golden Knights on Saturday night. "We’ll see if I’m in, I definitely can help in the morning skate, no?"

Capitals head coach Barry Trotz wouldn't confirm one way or another, either, simply giving his star forward the game-time decision designation.

Kuznetsov said he felt good after taking part in the morning skate Saturday, a session in which he took first-line rushes in his usual spot between Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson.

When asked about the hit by Golden Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb that injured him in Game 2, Kuznetsov said he didn't have an issue with it, calling it a "hockey play," and confirming he didn't go through concussion protocol, according to Isabelle Khurshudyan of The Washington Post.

Kuznetsov is the leading point producer among all skaters in these playoffs with 25 in 21 games.

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Add Brooks Orpik to the list of Washington Capitals players with banged-up mitts.

After Nicklas Backstrom missed four games earlier in the playoffs with a hand injury and Evgeny Kuznetsov exited Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final while appearing to favor his wrist, Orpik took a slash from Vegas Golden Knights forward Erik Haula in the waning seconds of Washington's 3-2 win on Wednesday that required upwards of 15 stitches on his index finger, according to TSN's Frank Seravalli.

Despite the repairs, Orpik said he'll be good to go for Saturday's Game 3.

Orpik also surprisingly netted the game-winning goal in Game 2 - his first tally since the 2015-16 campaign - and has averaged just under 17 minutes per night in 21 games for the Capitals in these playoffs.

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