Tampa Bay Come From Behind – Series Now Tied 2-2

The Tampa Bay Lightning has proved naysayers wrong winning 4-2 in Game 4 against the Washington Capitals and tying the series 2-2.

The Lightning looked like they may have bitten off more than they could chew last night after Washington scored the first goal of the night at 4:29 of the first period and failing to get a shot on net for almost a full period, yet, it seemed they were not yet full.

Tampa racked up three penalties last night, with two of the three being back-to-back that saw the Capitals on a power play for the final 3 minutes of the first period and the start of the second, a dangerous predicament for the Lightning to say the least. After winning Game 3 and getting back in the series, this is not the way to win games, not in the playoffs or regular season.

Andrei Vasilevskiy was brilliant last night racking up 36 saves and keeping the Capitals at bay. It wasn’t long after the first goal that Tampa tied it up at 5:38 after perfectly executed passing at the hands of the Lighting that allowed Yanni Gourd to fire one in the net past, Braden Holtby.

Cooper, speaking about Andrei Vasilevskiy said,

“When you don’t have your ‘A’ game, you need your goalie to have his ‘A’ game, and he sure did.”

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals will now go on to Game 5 in the series in Tampa, and Game 6 in Washington. The next two games are going to be critical for both teams as the margin for error is unforgiving.

For the Lightning, they have won all games on the road so far in this series, and the Capitals know it.

Sportsnet

Steven Stamkos, Captain of Lightning, was hit in the face during practice in the morning and went on to score during a power play giving the Lightning a 2-1 lead in the first period, said

“It’s pretty bizarre, “We’ve got to find a way to win one at home.”

Washington is well aware after going 3 for 5 at home and 7 to 1 on the road. They even got for the first time when last at home after they failed to score on three power play advantageous.

Jon Cooper, coach for the Lightning, commented on his team going without a shot on net for nearly a full period last night saying, For Cooper, he said his top players are gassed commenting,

“That’s a lot of stress. Mental stress. The same guys are on the ice the whole time. Other guys aren’t playing, you kind of lose your whole rhythm.”

Vasilevskiy was nothing short of spectacular stopping a breakaway by Nicklas Backstrom and a shot on point by Chandler Stephenson. He swatted a shot away from Brett Connolly and only allowed in two goals by the hard-driving Capitals. Considering the ten goals scored in Games 1 and 2, the last two games has only seen four get past Vasilevskiy.

Tom Wilson, who plays forward for the Washington Capitals said,

“He didn’t play great in the first two. He played well in the second two. It’s our job to make him look like the goalie from the first two games,” Washington forward Tom Wilson said. “We’ll make it hard on him.”

Braden Holtby, goaltender for Washington, was unable to make the same saves as Vasilevskiy considering the Capitals outshot the Lightning 38-20, but let in four versus the two missed by Vasilevskiy. Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, Alex Killorn and Steven Stamkos scored for Tampa Bay while Evgeny Kuznetsov and Dmitry Orlov scored for the Capitals.