Braden Holtby stopped all 24 Tampa Bay shots to record his first postseason shutout in more than two years and his first shutout in 84 starts overall, dating back to April of 2017. T.J. Oshie staked the Caps to a 1-0 lead with a power-play goal late in the second period, and he salted it away with an empty-netter in the final minute In between those two Oshie strikes, Washington's fourth line combined to generate a beautiful and extremely timely insurance tally from Devante Smith-Pelly in the middle of the third period.
The Caps also brought the physicality, leveling the Lightning with body checks throughout the contest. By night's end, the Capitals owned a 39-19 advantage in hits, and 13 of its 18 skaters were credited with at least one hit in the contest.
"I think it's nothing but desperation, really," says Caps defenseman Brooks Orpik. "You know if you don't win here tonight, you're not moving on. So you try to empty the tank as much as you can. I think that's probably one area where we probably have an edge [over the Lightning], is the size and physical play, and over the course of a seven-game series it's something that we've talked about, just when we get opportunities, don't run out of position, and try to wear them down when you can."