Knights, Caps promise less mistakes in Game 2

LAS VEGAS The Vegas Golden Knights were over-the-moon happy to win Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final.

How they got across the finish line is another matter entirely.

Vegas put in an uncharacteristically sloppy defensive showing in Monday’s chaotic 6-4 victory over the Washington Capitals, a backand-fourth tilt that saw a Cuprecord four lead changes.

Inching ever closer to an improbable championship in their expansion season was nice, but the Knights know there’s lots to clean up ahead of Wednesday’s Game 2.

“Small margin for error out there — one turnover and you find it in the back of your net,” Vegas forward James Neal said after Tuesday’s optional practice. “We’ve got to be a little bit better coming out of our end ... when we get in the offensive zone, be a little bit better there.”

The Knights had a sevenday layoff in the wake of beating the Winnipeg Jets in the Western Conference final, while the Capitals had four days of inaction following their triumph over the Tampa Bay Lightning to capture the East crown.

“After a long break for both teams, it’s going to be a little wild,” Vegas defenceman Shea Theodore said. “They’re going to tighten up a lot of things and so are we.”

There are just three players in the series with previous Cup experience — Neal, Knights netminder MarcAndre Fleury and Capitals defenceman Brooks Orpik — so nerves were probably a factor in some of the lapses that resulted in a 10-goal outburst.

“Neither team played their best game,” Knights forward Pierre-Edouard Bellemare said.

Washington, meanwhile, doesn’t have the luxury of feeling good about the result in spite of its performance after allowing six goals for the first time since March 18.