After a weekend in New York, the Washington Capitals are back home to try and win their third straight game of the year. But it’ll come against arguably their most difficult test this month.
The perennially good Tampa Bay Lightning are in town looking to improve on their 1-2-0 record. Tampa played last night while the Capitals had the day off on Monday.
The Capitals will be without Pierre-Luc Dubois, who suffered a lower-body injury against the New York Rangers on Sunday. Logan Thompson will be back in net — yes, even despite Charlie Lindgren’s 35-save shutout against the Rangers — and will oppose Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Puck drop for Capitals-Lightning is at 7:00 pm on Monumental Sports Network and ESPN. Joe Beninati and Craig Laughlin will have the call on MNST.
Lines
Washington Capitals
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tunnel shenanigans
1st Period
Puck is dropped. Ovechkin-Strome-Beauvillier & Chychrun-TVR get the start.
Alex Ovechkin gets off the Capitals’ first shot on goal, a clapper from the left circle that Vasilevskiy easily turns away.
Brandon Hagel with a great chance down the left wing, but Thompson comes out to challenge and makes the save.
Caps fourth line gets scored on. Guentzel gets lost in coverage and scores from the right side of the net. Incredible saucer pass by McDonagh from the point.
1-0 Tampa Bay Lightning
Goal: Jake Guentzel (1). Assists: R. McDonagh (1), A. Cirelli (1). Time: 07:06
Hagel with a semi-breakaway but Thompson makes another huge save on a high-danger chance.
Capitals go to their first power play after Nikita Kucherov hooks Dylan Strome at 13:58.
Caps manage no shots on man advantage.
Justin “Two Picks” Sourdif is stopped on a breakaway. Both Lightning defenders caught up to him too.
Jakob Chychrun and Yanni Gourde throw glove punches at each other after a whistle. Chuchrun tried to push a puck laying in the crease past Vasilevskiy in the final minute.
At intermission: The Lightning outshot the Capitals 8 to 7. The two teams are tied in 5-on-5 shot attempts, 13 to 13. The difference is in expected goals. The Lightning lead there 1.00 to 0.29. Logan Thompson kept the Caps in the game.
2nd Period
Puck is dropped.
In a span of like 10 seconds, Ryan Leonard hits the post on one end with a wrister from the top of the right circle. Then Hagel immediately rings a one-timer off the far post.
Alex Ovechkin nearly redirects a Rasmus Sandin shot past Vasilevskiy from just outside the crease. Great save by Vasilevskiy with his left shoulder.
Nic Dowd is checked in the shoulder by Emil Lilleberg, but in real time it looked like a leg-on-leg hit. On slo mo, absolutely not. Lilleberg gets whistled for tripping at 6:18. Capitals to their second power play.
Another poor looking power play from the Caps.
Jake Guentzel nearly scores down the right wing after both teams return 5-on-5.
Thompson keeps turning away high-danger chances. The Capitals are really scuffling at 5-on-5 tonight.
Tom Wilson lights up Lightning defenseman J.J. Moser along the end boards.
Moser and Fehervary mix it up at the benches after a whistle.
Ryan Leonard can’t score on a 3-on-1 – big pad save by Vasilevskiy. Then on the other end, Kucherov nearly scores on a 2-on-1, but Thompson makes the save on the quick chip shot.
Leonard to the box for holding at 13:47.
Connor McMichael sets up Aliaksei Protas with what I’m calling a twister pass behind the net. Vasilevskiy didn’t even track it.
1-1 tie
Goal: Aliaksei Protas (3). Assists: C. McMichael (1), T. Wilson (2). Time: 17:38
Alex Ovechkin to the box for… a pretty tepid check on Moser… at 19:26. What the heck, refs. They’re calling it a slash. Okay????
At intermission: Capitals are now outshooting the Lightning 15 to 13 and out-attempting them 35 to 28 at 5-on-5. Much better period.
3rd Period
Puck is dropped. Lightning start the period with 1:26 remaining on their power play.
Tom Wilson and Aliaksei Protas nearly connect on a shorthanded chance.
Point deflects a shot past Thompson in front of the net. Lightning take back the lead.
2-1 Tampa Bay Lightning
PPG: Brayden Point (2). Assists: N. Kucherov (1). Time: 01:23
Emil Lilleberg back to the box — his second minor of the night — after cross-checking Ryan Leonard to the ice at 3:35.
Wilson perfectly redirects a Dylan Strome shot from the point past Vasilevskiy. The puck was going wide, but Wilson steered it right into the net.
2-2 tie
PPG: Tom Wilson (2). Assists: D. Strome (1), J. Carlson (2). Time: 04:56
The Lightning held the led for only 3:33. Wilson has a goal and an assist in front of Team Canada’s Jon Cooper. Can’t hurt his Olympic chances!
Douglas & Geekie and Chychrun & TVR all the box for roughing after a huge scrum after a whistle at 5:22.
Chychrun crashes into Logan Thompson.
Tom Wilson with a hard take to the net crashing into Vasilevskiy. This went from a pretty pedestrian game to a playoff tilt.
Jakob Chychrun’s shot takes Vasilevskiy’s stick out of his hands as he makes the save.
Ovechkin tries the same pass McMichael made, but the Lightning were wise to it this time.
At the end of regulation: Capitals outshooting the Lightning 26 to 19 and out-attempting them at 5-on-5, 49 to 37.
Overtime
Puck is dropped.
Dylan Strome rings one off the post.
Capitals — with Strome, Protas, and Carlson — dominating play. Tampa’s not even touching the puck.
Tom Wilson’s 400th point on a beautiful cross-crease pass to Jakob Chychrun for an easy put in.
3-2 Washington Capitals
OTGWG: Jakob Chychrun (2). Assists: T. Wilson (3), D. Strome (2)r. Time: 01:19
CAPS WIN IN OT, 3-2!
Three points for Tom Wilson: Caps beat Bolts 3-2 in overtime
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