The Washington Capitals struck the Tampa Bay Lightning by a score of 5-1 at Capital One Arena on Friday night. The win lifted Washington one point behind the New York Rangers, who have a game in hand, for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference.
The Capitals are currently sixth in the Metropolitan Division with a 7-7-2 record. Goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who defeated Tampa Bay in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final with the Colorado Avalanche, made 28 saves in the victory.
Capitals’ Lines vs. Tampa Bay
Alex Ovechkin — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Conor Sheary
Sonny Milano — Dylan Strome — Marcus Johansson
Anthony Mantha — Lars Eller — Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Aliaksei Protas — Nic Dowd — Garnet Hathaway
Erik Gustafsson — John Carlson
Martin Fehervary — Nick Jensen
Matt Irwin — Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Kuemper
Charlie Lindgren
Injured: D Dmitry Orlov (lower-body, missed third straight game, out day-to-day), RW Connor Brown (lower-body, 12th, indefinite), LW Carl Hagelin (hip, 16th, indefinite), RW Tom Wilson (ACL, 16th, indefinite), C Nicklas Backstrom (hip, 16th, indefinite), RW T.J. Oshie (lower-body, seventh, indefinite), LW Beck Malenstyn (finger, fifth, week-to-week)
Scratched: D Alexander Alexeyev, C Connor McMichael, LW Joe Snively
Carlson returned after missing six straight games with a lower-body injury. Alexeyev drew out of the lineup. Head coach Peter Laviolette was not behind the bench due to the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol. Assistant Kevin McCarthy assumed the bench boss duties.
Tampa Bay’s Lines
Brandon Hagel — Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov
Steven Stamkos — Nick Paul — Alex Killorn
Cole Koepke — Vladislav Namestnikov — Ross Colton
Pat Maroon — Pierre-Edouard Bellemare — Corey Perry
Victor Hedman — Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev — Nick Perbix
Ian Cole — Cal Foote
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Brian Elliott
Injured: D Zach Bogosian (shoulder, 14th, indefinite), C Anthony Cirelli (shoulder, 14th, indefinite)
Scratched: D Hadyn Fleury, D Philippe Myers
First Period
Kuemper robbed Kucherov on the breakaway with his glove twice 7:05 in.
DARCY! DARCY! DARCY! pic.twitter.com/iSFcO7RWjx
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 12, 2022
Scoring
10:32, 1-0 Washington: Mantha wristed one glove-side on Valievskiy at the back door after Eller circled around the net, spun around, and fed him from the low left dot. The 28-year-old’s five goals rank second on the Capitals this season. The marker was just the ninth that Washington has scored five-on-five in their past ninth games.
The no look pass and the FINISH! pic.twitter.com/5t3aDDSTyD
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 12, 2022
Shots: 9-7 Tampa Bay
Other notable stats: Washington led 10-7 in blocked shots and 5-2 in takeaways. Each team earned seven hits and had a power-play in the first.
Second Period
Aube-Kubel got a match penalty for an illegal check to the head of Foote in open ice, which caused him to bleed, just 1:56 in.
A 5-minute penalty is awarded to the @TBLightning after Cal Foote takes a dirty hit from Nicolas Aube-Kubel who has been ejected.@TBLightning | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/Rgag5iC8Wi
— Bally Sports Sun: Lightning (@BallyLightning) November 12, 2022
Scoring
7:03, 2-0: After a defensive-zone clear by Carlson as a five-minute power-play expired, Milano came out of the penalty box, skated in, deked, and put one past the pad of Vasilevskiy on a breakaway. The helper marked the 600th point of Carlson’s career, which moved him into the top-five in scoring in franchise history.
yes yes yes yes yes pic.twitter.com/kEAFI9JyFT
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 12, 2022
14:25, 3-0: After Vasilevskiy blockered away Protas’ tip on Jensen’s point shot in front, Protas took a few steps, pounced on the rebound, and buried the loose puck down low. Jensen tallied his 100th career NHL point with the assist.
Big man on the board! pic.twitter.com/vO2YuqeWGy
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 12, 2022
Shots: 21-18 Tampa Bay (including 12-11 in the second)
Other notable stats: Each did not score on two full power-plays. Tampa Bay won 60% of the draws and led 16-14 in blocked shots. Washington led 8-5 in takeaways and had just four takeaways while Tampa Bay earned five.
Third Period
Scoring
4:53, 4-0: After Mantha sent Sheary in on a breakaway with a pass at the blueline, the 30-year-old skated in and ripped one over the glove of Vasilevskiy.
Breakaway SCOARRRRRRR pic.twitter.com/xFnU0YKMB8
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 12, 2022
12:08, 4-1: Perbix blasted a one-timer under the pad of Kuemper from the top of the left circle after Bellemare laid the puck on a tee for him from the blueline.
Nick Perbix puts the #GoBolts on the board!
Bally Sports+ is a new option for watching Lightning games. Learn more here ➡️ https://t.co/Qd5xnvaL8E@TBLightning | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/ELCP0FMDH1
— Bally Sports Florida & Bally Sports Sun (@BallySportsFL) November 12, 2022
17:45, 5-1: Milano’s attempted cross-ice feed to Kuznetsov in front went in off of Stamkos’ skate after Ovechkin started a tic-tac-toe passing play at the top.
Sonny weather, no lightning in sight ☀️ pic.twitter.com/2O92480tvb
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) November 12, 2022
Gustafsson took down Namestnikov while a dance between Mantha and Perry got broken up with 5:40 to go.
Friday night fights. 👀🍿 pic.twitter.com/c7SCwsT0JW
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) November 12, 2022
Shots: 29-24 Tampa Bay (including 9-6 in the third)
Other notable stats: Tampa Bay won 62% of the faceoffs and was held off on three power-plays while Washington was six times. Tampa Bay also led 25-22 in blocked shots.
Next game: Sunday at Tampa Bay (7 PM ET, ESPN nationally)
By Harrison Brown