Sports

Capitals vs. Lightning: Game 4 Prediction

May 18, 2018 07:10·
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"But we can't do it for one night and be satisfied".

Beagle said Backstrom's absence was felt Tuesday during the Capitals' 4-2 loss in Game 3.

They possessed the puck, making the Capitals chase the game rather than chasing it themselves, thanks to some tactical adjustments and line scrambling. "We will be better next game".

"They came in here, they're desperate and they played that way", said Capitals coach Barry Trotz. The Capitals went 2 for 7 in the first two games, while the Lightning scored twice on the power play in Game 3.

"They have two lines that check really hard and can move the puck well". Hedman assisted on that one too; and then Kucherov fed Hedman for a goal 1:47 later to make it 3-0.

The good news for Bolts fans is with no supplemental discipline in sight, Anton Stralman will be eligible (and will nearly assuredly be in the lineup) for Game 4 against the Capitals on Thursday night.

Backstrom has been a "game-time decision" for the entire series, but this is the closest he has looked to making his return.

Now, using his specialized sports simulations, projections and advanced statistical analysis, Oh has examined Game 4 from every angle.

Which power-play blast did Cooper like better?




"I'm just playing like it's the regular season", Point said.

The fate of the NHL Eastern Conference finals will be at stake, with Tampa Bay looking to avoid the dreaded 3-1 hole.

Point, who said he's been getting a lot more "offence from playing defence", scored two goals and four points in the first three games against the Capitals, where he's seen time against Alex Ovechkin's line. Tampa Bay finally woke up in the third, scoring a pair of unanswered goals to reward its netminder for a stellar effort. "And you just go out there and play simple hockey, and I think there's something to be said of winning games on the road where you can hear a pin drop in the crowd". We talked about this. As coach Jon Cooper pointed out, Vasilevskiy clearly turned the page after Game 2.

"He's a big reason for why we're here right now". We were just off a little bit, and you can't be off in this game to have success. "Simpler play. Just a kind of, like, more gritty style". "When you need a big play, a big performance, he's usually one of the guys that will step up".

Then there was Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy.

But those shots weren't coming on odd-man rushes or high percentage parts of the ice: The Capitals had the fewest high-danger chances (six) of the series. So far, the difference in this 2-1 game is special teams.

This may be the unpopular opinion, and we can't even believe we are about to say this, but the NHL Department of Player Safety made the right call here. "You've got to check in this league". We all know it's going to be a tough series.

Hedman has a goal and 10 assists during an eight-game point streak.

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