The Washington Capitals made the quick trip from Sunrise to Tampa Bay to meet with the Lightning in their final game of this two-game road trip on Wednesday. The Lightning are never an easy matchup, especially when Andrei Vasilevskiy is patrolling their crease.
Brayden Point scored two quick goals to give the home team a 2-0 lead after the first period. Andrew Mangiapane and Aliaksei Protas tied the game with goals in quick succession in the second. Michael Eyssimont gave the Lightning the lead back heading into the third.
Dylan Strome tied the game again but then Charlie Lindgren scored on himself in the most blatant way you can possibly score on yourself. John Carlson tied the game a third time. Tom Wilson gave the Caps their first lead with 3:26 left in regulation.
Capitals beat Lightning 5-4!
- The first period, outside of the first five or so minutes, wasn’t really that bad for the Capitals. The Lightning only recorded one five-on-five high-danger chance in the frame, but Brayden Point took full advantage of it, and then Nikita Kucherov did his usual thing on a power play. Tampa Bay can be super frustrating to play against when they’re on their game and they seem to be cooking right now after beating the Colorado Avalanche 8-2 on Monday.
- Washington didn’t really help themselves, though. The Capitals had countless missed shots that weren’t even close to testing Andrei Vasilevskiy and took two bad penalties. The horrendous ice at Amalie Arena also wasn’t a big help. Bad puck luck happens when you’re playing on a rut-filled mess.
- Per Monumental Sports Network’s Ryan Billie, this was the first Capitals-Lightning game to feature neither Alex Ovechkin nor Steven Stamkos since March 27, 2004. Tampa Bay won that game 4-1 with goals from Vincent Lecavalier (2), Freddy Modin, and Brad Richards. Washington’s lone goal was scored by Matt Pettinger and assisted by Trent Whitfield and Roman Tvrdon. Matthew Yeats was the Capitals’ goaltender. I have literally no idea who the last three people I just named are.
when today is a capitals game day but all i can think about is food because tomorrow is Thanksgiving pic.twitter.com/Bp796cEG3J
— Lauren⋆｡ﾟ👻 (@sp00kycaps) November 27, 2024
- The Capitals were pretty great in the second and had the game tied heading into the third period until Michael Eyssimont found a wraparound goal with less than a minute remaining in the frame. I think it’s time for Spencer Carbery to maybe cease doing this even split in net. Charlie Lindgren should have had two of the first three goals.
- Aliaksei Protas scored his first career shorthanded goal to tie the game 2-2. The marker was his first point since Alex Ovechkin left Washington’s lineup. The Caps need more from big Pro during this stretch without their captain.
- Lars Eller factored in on another Capitals goal, providing the primary assist to Andrew Mangiapane. He’s been pretty faultless since the Capitals reacquired him.
- The TNT broadcast always makes me miss Joe B and Locker. That was no different tonight.
Tom Wilson registered the primary assist on Protas' shorthanded goal, his 10th assist of the season. Since his rookie season in 2013-14, Wilson's 13 shorthanded points (9g, 4a) are the most on Washington.
— CapitalsPR (@CapitalsPR) November 28, 2024
- I wrote that first bullet about Lindgren before he did whatever the hell that was in the third period. I don’t know how to even comment on that. He recovered very well, though, you have to give him that.
- There was talk on TNT about both Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel potentially making Team Canada. There was zero talk of Dylan Strome’s candidacy. Why? I don’t know. Strome scored the third Capitals’ goal and assisted on the fifth to give him 31 points (7g, 24a) this season.
- Huge goal from Tom Wilson. His first since Halloween.
No Joe B or Locker tonight so here is your daily dose of Miro.
computer, enhance pic.twitter.com/06hd7JOPkb
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 27, 2024
The Capitals will next return home for the first half of a back-to-back with travel, taking on the New York Islanders in a Friday afternoon game. Happy Thanksgiving!
