Lightning at Capitals
The Tampa Bay Lightning no longer are atop the NHL in points and their lead in the Atlantic Division is in jeopardy as they begin a three-game road trip Tuesday against the Washington Capitals. The Lightning have dropped three of their last four games and three straight on the road as their defense continues to surrender goals, averaging 3.4 allowed per game this month.
Tampa Bay recorded 51 shots in Saturday’s 4-3 loss to New Jersey but gave up a short-handed goal and three others on miscues to see its lead over Boston in the Atlantic shrink to one point. “It was just not making the right reads at the right time,” Lightning captain Steven Stamkos told reporters after the setback. “Bad changes. Bad pinches. Bad defensive-zone coverage. When we did make a mistake, they capitalized on it.” The Capitals gave up their lead in the Metropolitan Division to Pittsburgh with a 7-1 loss at Chicago on Saturday but regained the top spot with a 3-2 victory at Buffalo two days later. Captain Alex Ovechkin scored his league-leading 35th goal in Monday’s win and has recorded 42 - and 84 points - in 65 career games against Tampa Bay, which has lost five straight at Washington.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sportsnet Pacific, TVA, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), NBCS Washington
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (39-17-3): League-leading scorer Nikita Kucherov posted a minus-2 rating in the loss to New Jersey but registered an assist to extend his point streak to six games (four goals). Stamkos has recorded three goals in his last two contests to push his season total to 24 as Tampa Bay boasts four players with at least 20 (Kucherov, Brayden Point, Yanni Gourde) while Vladislav Namestnikov needs one to join the group. Andrei Vasilevskiy leads the NHL in wins with 34 but has struggled against Washington in his career (1-4-0, .892 save percentage).
ABOUT THE CAPITALS (34-18-7): Ovechkin has collected three goals and five assists over his last five contests to lead the team with 66 points while Evgeny Kuznetsov is second with 55 after scoring in Monday’s victory. Defenseman John Carlson notched a goal and an assist in the triumph at Buffalo to move into third on the team with 47 points, with seven coming in his last seven contests. Philipp Grubauer got the victory in net on Monday, which should mean Braden Holtby (28 wins), who is 9-2-2 with a .915 save percentage lifetime versus Tampa Bay, will get the call.
OVERTIME
1. The Capitals have earned at least one point in 10 straight meetings (8-0-2), including a 3-1 win on Nov. 24 in Washington.
2. Washington acquired D Michal Kempny from Chicago on Monday for a 2018 conditional third-round pick.
3. Tampa Bay LW Chris Kunitz, who has recorded nine goals in his first season with the club, needs two points to reach 600 for his career.