After a Game 3 Letdown, the Capitals Look to Rebound in Game 4 Versus Tampa Bay

Photo: Bruce Bennett/Getty Images

After winning 2 straight road games in Tampa, the Capitals were flying high heading into Game 3 on Tuesday night. Unfortunately for the Capitals, they were defeated in Game 3 with a 4-2 score, after the Lightning scored the first 3 goals of the game. The Capitals will look to rebound in Game 4 which takes place on Thursday night. Puck drop is at 8 PM on NBCSN.

TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

The Lightning did a good job making the Capitals pay on their powerplay in Game 3. The Bolts went 2/5 in the game, with Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov each tallying powerplay goals.

The Lightning also performed better in the faceoff dot in Game 3. They won 56% of the draws against the Capitals.

The Lightning have been getting steady contributions from their big guns. Nikita Kucherov has recorded 2 goals and 6 points in his last 5 playoff games. Steven Stamkos has also been on a scoring tear. Stamkos has recorded 5 goals and 9 points in his last 6 playoff games.

Andrei Vasilevskiy was outstanding for the Lightning in Game 3. He stopped 36 of 38 Capitals shots he faced. It was his best outing of the series so far.

WASHINGTON CAPITALS

The Capitals did not perform well in Game 3. The penalty kill was not very good, and there were a couple of goals Braden Holtby would like to have back.

Despite some minor miscues, the Capitals are still in control of this series. Their mistakes in Game 3 are fixable, and they must have a better performance ready in Game 4.

There is some good news for the Capitals. It appears that Nicklas Backstrom is inching closer to a return from his hand injury. Backstrom has been out of action for the last 4 postseason games.

Despite losing 4-2, the Capitals outshot the Lightning 38-23. Evgeny Kuznetsov dominated the shots counter in Game 3 with 12 shots on goal. Alex Ovechkin recorded 9 shots on goal in the game.

If the Capitals are going to make improvements for Game 4, they need to stay out of the penalty box. The Lightning have a potent powerplay with plenty of weapons, so limiting the penalties taken is a must.

SHAVINGS

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Backstrom is definitely making progress. Saw him snipe a shot on Holtby. Passes have more zip. #Caps #CapsBolts pic.twitter.com/Q4s9ZnNGrE

— Tarik El-Bashir⌨🎙🏒 (@TarikNBCS) May 16, 2018