The Lightning dropped three-straight home games, falling 5-3 to the Capitals on Thursday.
Brandon Hagel put the Bolts on the board in the second frame, extending his point streak to 11 games.
The Bolts found some hope with two goals within 24 seconds in the third period, but the Capitals shortly regained the lead and eventually put the dagger on the night with an empty net goal.
The Lightning now head on the road for a three-game trip beginning with a matinee matchup with the New York Islanders on Saturday.
Scoring Summary
1st Period
WSH 1, TBL 0
2:30 Nicolas Aube-Kubel (6) – Beck Malenstyn
Beck Malenstyn landed a hit on Emil Lilleberg in the defensive zone landing the puck to Nicolas Aube-Kubel at the blue line. Aube-Kubel skated through Lilleberg at the right circle and beat Andrei Vasilevskiy over the right shoulder.
WSH 2, TBL 0
16:19 Connor McMichael (11) – Joel Edmundson, Tom Wilson
Hayden Fleury was slow to get up after a hit by Tom Wilson on the forecheck which led the puck to Joel Edmundson at the near wall. Edmundson played the puck to Connor McMichael at the left point, and he immediately took a shot landing the Capitals a 2-0 lead.
2nd Period
WSH 2, TBL 1
9:16 Brandon Hagel (21) – Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov
Tampa Bay cut their deficit in half just halfway through the second frame. Emil Lilleberg grabbed the puck in the neutral zone and played it to Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov crossed the ice to Brayden Point who quickly played in back to Brandon Hagel. Hagel patiently waited at the crease to beat Charlie Lindgren.
WSH 3, TBL 1
12:14 Anthony Mantha (18) – Dylan Strome, TJ Oshie
Off an odd-man rush, Dylan Strome broke into the Bolts zone and crossed the puck through the skates of Victor Hedman to Anthony Mantha. Mantha took a quick shot and beat Andrei Vasilevskiy glove-side.
3rd Period
WSH 3, TBL 2
2:42 Nick Paul (15) – Conor Sheary, Calvin de Haan
Conor Sheary gloved down a puck in the Bolts territory and played it for Nick Paul on the rush. Paul got through Ethan Bear and his shot beat Charlie Lindgren blocker side.
WSH 3, TBL 3
3:06 Tyler Motte (5) – Nick Perbix
The Bolts struck again just 24 seconds later. Tyler Motte grabbed the loose puck after a scramble behind the Caps crease and skated it to the center to tie the game.
WSH 4, TBL 3
15:01 Rasmus Sandin (3) – Aliaksei Protoas, Dylan Strome
After a scramble for the puck, Dylan Strome grabbed possession along the boards. Strome fed it to Aliaksei Protoas behind the crease and he played it up to Rasmus Sandin and his centering shot gave the Caps the lead again.
WSH 5, TBL 3
Connor McMichael (12) – Nick Jensen, Tom Wilson
Tampa Bay pulled Andrei Vasilevskiy for the extra attacker and Connor McMichael ended with the puck in the Bolts zone to hit the empty net.
