The Tampa Bay Lightning face the Washington Capitals with both teams off to strong starts. The Lightning stumbled in their first two games but are coming off a convincing 4-3 win on the road. The Capitals have back-to-back wins and look a lot like the team that won the Metropolitan Division a season ago. Who will win this matchup? Check out our Lightning vs Capitals prediction!
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Tampa Bay will lean on offense to win games
The Lightning are off to a promising start with their offense leading the way, scoring 11 goals in their first three games. Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov have scored three goals and three assists to lead the top line but the rest of the offense has stepped up as well. Oliver Bjorkstrand and Jake Guentzel have combined for a goal and six assists, while defensemen Victor Hedman and Darren Raddysh have added a goal and four assists from the point to open up the offense.
The offense is great but the defense is letting them down, allowing 13 goals through three games. Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh have led the top pairing, but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to fire shots on the net at will. In addition, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has struggled in the net, allowing nine goals on 62 shots.
Capitals have been great on defense
The Capitals are off to a strong start despite their offense struggling and scoring only six goals through three games. Aliaksei Protas, Tom Wilson, and Alexander Ovechkin have scored three goals and five assists to lead the top two lines, but the rest of the offense has struggled. The hope is that Dylan Strome steps up, as he scored 29 goals and 53 assists last season but has yet to record a point this season.
The offense has struggled but the defense is one of the best in the league, allowing only five goals through three games, with only two in the last two games. John Carlson and Jakob Chychrun have anchored the top pairing while Rasmus Sandin and Trevor van Riemsdyk have added depth to the unit, creating turnovers in all three zones and limiting shots on the net. Additionally, goaltender Logan Thompson has been great so far, stopping 52 of the 57 shots he’s faced.
Lightning vs Capitals PickMoney Line Pick for Lightning vs. Caps Capitals (-120) (4 units)
The Lightning are coming off an impressive win but the Capitals look to step up on their home ice and take over this game from the first period. The Capitals should create plenty of scoring chances against the Lightning, who have allowed 13 goals in the three games they’ve played, with Tom Wilson, Alexander Ovechkin, and the rest of the forward unit controlling the puck in the offensive zone while creating open shots with quick passes. The Capitals, who have allowed only five goals this season, should limit the Lightning offense with Jakob Chychrun, John Carlson, and the rest of the defensive unit creating turnovers in the defensive zone while limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Logan Thompson to make plenty of big saves. The Capitals should win the game with a strong performance on their home ice.
Take the Capitals money line as home Favorites.
Over/Under Pick For Lightning vs Capitals
The Capitals are led by their defense, and this game looks to be a low-scoring one from the opening puck drop. The Lightning should limit the Capitals’ offense, which has only six goals in three games, with Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh creating turnovers in the defensive zone while limiting shots on the net, allowing goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to make plenty of big saves. The Capitals, who have only allowed two goals in their last two games, should eliminate the Lightning offense with John Carlson, Jakob Chychrun, and the rest of the defensive unit forcing turnovers in all three zones while goaltender Logan Thompson blanks the shots on the net. The Under should cover in a low-scoring game with both defenses stepping up.
Take the Under on 5.5 goals.
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