This will be the 172nd Game 7 in Stanley Cup playoffs history as the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning go head-to-head tonight with a date against the expansion Vegas Golden Knights in the final on the line.

Here are some numbers you need to know for the epic clash. Stats courtesy of TSN's Kevin Gibson.

 

Plenty of Experience

The Caps have the edge over the Lightning when it comes to Game 7 experience. Whether or not that means anything is hard to tell. This will be Washington's 11th Game 7 since 2008, the most in the NHL. However, Alex Ovechkin's crew holds a dismal 3-7 record in those games. The Bolts have appeared in five Game 7s since 2008 and have posted a 3-2 record. 

Capitals - 11* (3-7)
Bruins - 10 (5-5)
Rangers - 8 (6-2)
Penguins - 8 (5-3)
Red Wings - 7 (3-4)

Lightning - 6* (3-2) 

*Includes tonight

When it comes to most Game 7s of all time, two prominent members of the Capitals are near the top of the table as Ovechkin and fellow forward Nicklas Backstrom will appear in their 11th Game 7 tonight, two behind all-time leader and Hall of Fame goalie Patrick Roy.

Patrick Roy - 13
Scott Stevens - 13
Glenn Anderson - 12
Ken Daneyko - 12
Stephane Yelle - 12
Zdeno Chara - 12
Alex Ovechkin - 11*
Nicklas Backstrom - 11*

*Includes tonight

 

Other Stats

- In Game 7 history, scoring the first goal of the game could be the most important stat. The team who scores first is 127-44 (.743) over the 171 Game 7s, including 1-1 in the 2018 playoffs. In the Eastern Conference Final between the Caps and Bolts, the team who scores first has a 5-1 record.

- This will be the 33rd Game 7 with a trip to the Stanley Cup final on the line. Tampa might hold a slight advantage as home teams hold a 21-11 record over these games. This will be the third conference final Game 7 for the Lightning since 2015 as they downed the New York Rangers that year before losing to Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016. Home teams are 100-71 in Game 7 contests all-time. 

- 41 Game 7s have gone to overtime (nearly 25 per cent of the time) with home teams having a slight edge at 21-20. 

- Since the start of the conference era in 1975, teams with a 2-0 series lead in the conference semis or finals have a record of 39-2. Washington held a 2-0 series lead before losing the next three to Tampa Bay. 

- Ovechkin has three goals and three assists over 10 career Game 7s. With Ovechkin, the Caps are 10-2 when facing elimination in Games 4, 5 or 6 with the Russian sniper scoring seven goals and seven assists.

- Four members of the Lightning have scored game-winning goals in Game 7s including Chris Kunitz, Braydon Coburn, Dan Girardi and Alex Killorn. Kunitz's tally might be the most memorable as he scored in double overtime in last year's East Final to send the Penguins past the Ottawa Senators and straight to the Stanley Cup Final which they won for a second consecutive season.

- Over the past 50 years, clubs who take a 2-0 series lead on the road in the final two rounds of the Stanley Cup playoffs are 21-0. The last time a team came back after dropping the first two games at home were the Montreal Canadiens who beat the Detroit Red Wings four straight times in the 1966 Stanley Cup Final. - From Elias SB