Caps Clash with Bolts in Game 4 on Thursday
Caps look to win one at home and bump the Bolts to the brink while the Lightning looks to square the series in Thursday's Game 4 at Capital One Arena
In winning the first two games of the Eastern Conference final series last weekend in Tampa, the Caps wrested away home ice advantage - such as it is - from the Lightning. But with their 4-2 win over the Capitals in Tuesday's Game 3 in Washington, the Bolts are now halfway toward squaring the series and taking back home ice advantage. Game 4 is Thursday in D.C.
Tampa Bay scored on each of its first two power play opportunities in Game 3, putting the Caps in a multi-goal hole for just the second time in 15 postseason games. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves to stem his first two-game losing streak of the playoffs, helping the Lightning their first win of the series.
"We're three games in," says Lightning coach Jon Cooper, "and we're down two games to one. So regardless of if we won Game 1 and they won the next two or shuffle the order of who won the games, we're still down a game and they've got home ice. So we can't look at this as any more than whatever effort we gave [Tuesday] night, we've got to give more [Thursday] night."
After its successful three-game playoff road journey in which it clinched the second-round series with the Pens and claimed the first two games of the ECF series with the Lightning, the Caps weren't as sharp in their return to the District on Tuesday, and they weren't able to match the Lightning's level of desperation. It was just the second time in 15 games this spring the Caps never owned a lead at any point in the contest.
"The first few games we obviously got out to a lead," says Washington winger Brett Connolly, who has scored in each of the last two games. "But I thought they a little more desperate than us last game. They capitalized on their chances when they had them and we were chasing a little bit.
"We knew it was going to be a tough series. We obviously would have liked to win last night and been up 3-0, but we're still in a really good spot here, up 2-1 with another home game here. We've just got to focus on [Thursday], bury the game, it really doesn't matter right now. [Thursday] is the biggest game of the year."
Home ice advantage has proven to be highly overrated this spring, especially where the Capitals are concerned. The road team has won each of the first three games of this series, and the road team has prevailed in 11 of the Caps' 15 games this spring.
Although the Caps are only 3-4 at home in the playoffs, they've managed to win critical games at Capital One Arena this spring. The Caps' lone home ice win in the first round was a Game 5 victory that gave them a 3-2 series lead over the Columbus Blue Jackets, and they also won Game 5 of their second-round series against Pittsburgh to forge a 3-2 lead in that set as well. Washington's other win at home was a crucial Game 2 triumph against Pittsburgh after the Pens took Game 1 in Washington.
Even with their misstep in Game 3, the Caps can still push the Bolts to the brink with a win in Game 4.
"We just need to keep playing," says Connolly. "Whatever line you're matched up against, you've got to win your match-up. Hopefully we can find another gear tomorrow night. Our fans will be energized again. Everyone is excited. I think the first home team to win a game is going to give themselves a very good chance to win the series, so that's what we're focused on."
The Caps are also focused on finding a way to neutralize the lethal Lightning power play that has connected for five goals (5-for-12, 41.7%) in three games in this series. Washington owns a 9-3 advantage in even-strength scoring in this series, but it has been outscored 5-2 in special teams play.
"It's a double whammy from a standpoint of you've got Stamkos and Kucherov," says Caps coach Barry Trotz of the Lightning's power play. "They're probably in the same type of caliber as [Alex Ovechkin] in terms of you're talking about some of the elite shooters, the top six or seven in the league. They've got one on each side. That does cause a little bit of angst for any penalty kill. We'll make a couple adjustments."
Earlier in the postseason, the Caps had a streak of 22 straight successful penalty-killing missions. But since the end of that run, the Caps have been dented for two or more power-play goals in four of seven games, going just 16-for-26 (61.5%) on the kill. Washington's only clean game during that span was its 1-for-1 night against the Pens in the series-clinching game 6.
"Our penalty kill's been good through the playoffs," says Trotz. "We've had a little stretch here where just like the playoffs you're going to have some ebb and flows. We've had a long stretch where nothing was going in and we've had a stretch here where they've scored a few goals in the first three games here. That can change in a heartbeat just as the games do."
Both teams will be vying hard for that first goal on Thursday, too. The team that scores first has won each of the first three games, and has held the lead for most of those contests, too.
"Yeah, it's big, especially in that building," says Lightning forward J.T. Miller. "It's a fun building to play in, there is a lot of energy and the crowd is always really loud. So anytime you get a chance to get on the board and settle them down - and settle the other team down, hopefully - it's always in your advantage."
