The Tampa Bay Lightning (7-5-1) travel to take on the Washington Capitals (6-7-2) at Capital One Arena on Friday. Tampa Bay is coming off a 3-2 loss against the Oilers on Tuesday. The Lightning committed four penalties in the game, conceding two power play goals.
Brandon Hagel and Alex Killorn each scored once for the Lightning. Brayden Point had two assists to lead the team in scoring. Andrei Vasilevskiy saved only 26 of 29 shots against (.896%) in the loss. Washington fell 4-1 to the Penguins on Wednesday. Marcus Johansson netted the only goal for the Capitals. Darcy Kuemper saved only 24 of 27 shots against (.888%) in the loss.
HEAD TO HEAD
The Lightning won two of the three games between the teams last season, although the Capitals were 4-3 victors in their final meeting in April. John Carlson led Washington with four points (2G 2A). Nicholas Paul, Ross Colton, and Nikita Kucherov were on the scoresheet for Tampa Bay. Ilya Samsonov got the win despite saving only 25 of 28 shots (.892%).
FACING OFF
Tampa Bay is averaging 3.23 goals per game for the season, 14th in the NHL, and they are taking on a Capitals team that is allowing 3.00 goals a game (13th). Meanwhile, Washington has found the net 2.73 times a game on average, 28th in the league, and the Lightning are allowing opponents to score 3.08 goals per game (16th).
Washington averages fewer shots (28.5) than most teams in the league, ranking 29th. With an average of 31.3 attempts, Tampa Bay ranks 16th. The Capitals’ 25.00% power play percentage ranks ninth in the league, while the Lightning are 15th with a conversion rate of 22.22%. When it comes to defending power plays, Washington has the league’s 10th-ranked PK% at 82.22%, while Tampa Bay is 15th at 78.72%.
TOP PERFORMERS:
With 21 points this season, third-most in the NHL, Kucherov is the top skater for the Lightning. He is among the league leaders with 15 assists (3rd) and has added six goals of his own. In the net, Vasilevskiy (4-4-1) is Tampa Bay’s top goaltender by goals against average. He has a 2.90 GAA and a .910% save percentage.
Alex Ovechkin and Dylan Strome lead the Capitals in scoring with 13 and 12 points, respectively. Ovechkin has eight goals (8th) and five assists, while Strome has four goals and eight assists. Kuemper (4-5-1) is the top goalie for Washington with a goals against average of 2.42. He has a save percentage of .919%.
HOME AND AWAY
Tampa Bay is 4-3-0 away from Amalie Arena this season. Washington is 4-3-1 at Capital One Arena this season.
SportsTips’ NHL Pick:
Over 6.5 Goals (-105)
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*Odds correct at time of publication, courtesy of BetMGM.
