The Washington Capitals host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night (7 PM ET, Monumental Sports Network in-market, ESPN+ out-of-market) for the first of three meetings between the 2018 Eastern Conference finalists during the 2023-24 regular season. Tampa Bay took the last two games of last year’s season set and five of the last seven (Washington: 2-3-2) overall. Saturday marks the final day of NHL action before the three-day holiday break.
Schedule
Tampa Bay: play lone road game during a six-game stretch (2-0-0) after a 5-4 win over the Vegas Golden Knights on Thursday
Washington: play just fourth contest at home over a span of 16 games (7-4-2 so far)
How Each Team Is Doing
Tampa Bay: has gone 6-3-0 over last nine games after a four-game losing streak, have won last two games by a combined score of 11-5
Washington: has won three straight, all coming beyond regulation, and have points in seven of their last eight (5-1-2)
Standings
Tampa Bay: 16-13-5 (.544 points percentage — fourth in Atlantic Division, 10th in Eastern Conference); one point back of Toronto Maple Leafs (who have four games in hand) and Florida Panthers (two) for second in division in addition to Washington (four) and Carolina Hurricanes (one) in the wild-card race; three points ahead of New Jersey Devils (three) and Detroit Red Wings (two)
Washington: 17-9-4 (.633 points percentage — second in Metropolitan Division, tied for third in Eastern Conference with Toronto); point behind Philadelphia Flyers and New York Islanders (two on both) for second in Metropolitan in actual points
Team Leaders
The graph takes a look at each teams’ player leaders. Tampa Bay right-wing Nikita Kucherov ranks third in the NHL in goals, second in assists, and first in points.
Team Statistics
The following chart examines Tampa Bay and Washington’s game averages going into Saturday’s game. Tampa Bay has given up the sixth-most goals in the NHL.
The second graph glances at both teams’ underlying statistics at five-on-five so far this season. Both teams have around the same shooting and save percentage index.
Injuries/Illnesses
Tampa Bay
- D Mikhail Sergachev (lower-body)
Washington
- LW Max Pacioretty (Achilles)
- C Nicklas Backstrom (hip)
- RW Sonny Milano (upper-body)
- RW T.J. Oshie (lower-body)
Expected Goaltending Matchup
Tampa Bay: Andrei Vasilevskiy, 29 — 7-5-0, .901 save percentage, 2.93 goals-against average, one shutout
Washington: Darcy Kuemper, 33 — 8-6-2, .900 save percentage, 2.90 goals-against average
Projected Lines
Tampa Bay
Nick Paul — Brayden Point — Kucherov
Brandon Hagel — Anthony Cirelli — Steven Stamkos
Conor Sheary — Tyler Motte — Alex Barré-Boulet
Tanner Jeannot — Luke Glendening — Michael Eyssimont
Hedman — Erik Cernak
Calvin De Haan — Darren Raddysh
Hadyn Fleury — Nick Perbix
Vasilevskiy
Jonas Johansson
Scratched: RW Austin Watson, D Sean Day
Washington
Alex Ovechkin — Dylan Strome — Tom Wilson
Ivan Miroshnichenko — Evgeny Kuznetsov — Matthew Phillips
Aliaksei Protas — Hendrix Lapierre — Anthony Mantha
Beck Malenstyn — Nic Dowd — Nicolas Aube-Kubel
Martin Fehervary — Carlson
Rasmus Sandin — Trevor Van Riemsdyk
Joel Edmundson — Nick Jensen
Kuemper
Charlie Lindgren
Scratched: D Alexander Alexeyev, C Michael Sgarbossa
Betting Odds (OddsShark)
Tampa Bay: -134, Washington: +119
Over-under: 6 (-126 over, +110 under)
By Harrison Brown