A flurry of first period goals allowed the Tampa Bay Lightning to leave Capital One Arena with a 5-3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Saturday.
Washington scored 1:06 into the game, but Brandon Hagel scored twice to join Oliver Bjorkstrand and Nikita Kucherov in giving the Lightning a 4-1 lead through 20 minutes.
The Capitals scored the game’s next two goals to draw within one of tying the Lightning, but Anthony Cirelli added an insurance goal late in the third period for the 5-3 final.
Lightning goalie Jonas Johansson finished with 31 saves for the win.
Tampa Bay is now 12-7-2 this season and returns home to play the Philadelphia Flyers on Monday.
Scoring summary
First period
WSH 1, TBL 0
1:06 Justin Sourdif (3) - Tom Wilson, Martin Fehervary
The Capitals scored on a rebound 66 seconds into the game for an early lead.
WSH 1, TBL 1
2:53 Brandon Hagel (8) - Anthony Cirelli, Erik Cernak - SH
The Lightning tied the game shorthanded. Brandon Hagel accepted a pass from Anthony Cirelli in the neutral zone, attacked the offensive zone and scored on a shot from the top of the right circle.
TBL 2, WSH 1
5:21 Oliver Bjorkstrand (2) - Nikita Kucherov, Darren Raddysh - PP
Tampa Bay took its first lead on an abbreviated power-play. Nikita Kucherov’s shot hit the post, and the rebound found Oliver Bjorkstrand in the left circle. Bjorsktrand fired the puck home for his third goal of the year.
TBL 3, WSH 1
11:37 Hagel (9) - Kucherov, Moser
Hagel’s second goal of the game extended the lead with a slap shot from the high slot.
TBL 4, WSH 1
18:19 Kucherov (10) - Hagel, Charle-Edouard D’Astous
A breakaway goal for Kucherov continued the first period onslaught for the Lightning.
Shots on goal: WSH 9, TBL 6
Second period
TBL 4, WSH 2
5:26 Jakob Chychrun (6) - Unassisted
A spinning shot by defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the boards hit a Lightning player’s skate and ricocheted home to cut into the Lightning lead.
Shots on goal:
Third period
TBL 4, WSH 2
5:24 Ethen Frank (3) - Sonny Milano, Chychrun
The Capitals drew within a goal of Tampa Bay with a shot from the right faceoff circle early in the third period.
TBL 5, WSH 3
15:51 Cirelli (8) - Hagel, Jake Guentzel
Tampa Bay got some insurance with a rebound goal by Cirelli.
Total shots: WSH 34, TBL 16
