Neal: Converting empty-net chance would have changed Game 4

The Vegas Golden Knights certainly had early chances to potentially change their fortunes in an eventual 6-2 loss in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The game's best chance early on fell onto the stick of James Neal, one of the league's best shooters. 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, Neal lamented that things would have been much different had he made his shot.

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

so it's gonna be that kinda game, huh? pic.twitter.com/1KODn70WA7

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Washington opened the scoring on the power play shortly after, which would set the wheels in motion to take a commanding 3-1 series lead.

Neal admitted he was struggling 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 contest.

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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