Neal's run of bad luck continues with another Stanley Cup Final defeat

The Stanley Cup continues to elude James Neal, and his string of misfortune is becoming a bit ridiculous.

The Vegas Golden Knights forward came up short again this spring, as the Washington Capitals ended the expansion team's magical run in five games with the series-clinching victory Thursday night.

It's the second straight year Neal's team has lost in the championship round, as he fell short as a member of the Nashville Predators last season.

As unlucky as that is, it doesn't end there.

The Pittsburgh Penguins traded Neal to the Predators in June 2014, and Pittsburgh then won back-to-back titles without him in 2016 and 2017.

Neal also missed out on the Penguins' Cup win in 2009, as they didn't acquire him from the Dallas Stars until February 2011.

The 30-year-old sharpshooter might have already gotten over those past coincidences, but he'll have a hard time putting his Game 4 miss in the rear-view mirror.

Neal's certainly had a productive career, but when it comes to winning the Stanley Cup, he just can't buy a break.