Tampa, FL (SportsNetwork.com) – Jason Garrison’s early third-period goal
lifted the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Washington Capitals, 4-3, on Saturday.
Nikita Kucherov, Ondrej Palat and Ryan Callahan also lit the lamp for the
Lightning, who have won three in a row. Callahan returned to the lineup after
missing five games with a lower-body injury.
Ben Bishop stopped 35-of-38 shots in the victory.
Marcus Johansson, Eric Fehr and Troy Brouwer scored for the Capitals, who have
dropped three straight. Alex Ovechkin, who had been held without a point in
five straight games, had one assist.
Braden Holtby made 24 saves in defeat.
Garrison’s go-ahead score came after Steven Stamkos won a faceoff in the
offensive zone. The defenseman sent a slap shot past Holtby at the 2:27 mark
of the third period.
Earlier, the Lightning drew first blood at the 6:06 mark of the first period.
Callahan redirected Brian Boyle’s pass between Holtby’s pads.
Ovechkin ended the longest point drought of his career at 12:59 when he
assisted on Johansson’s goal. The Russian superstar managed to put the puck on
net while being tripped, and Johansson was there to put home the rebound.
Fehr gathered his own rebound off the end boards and beat Bishop at the 2:11
mark of the second stanza.
Tampa Bay tied things up at 9:29 when Palat scored off Kucherov’s pass from
behind the net. Kucherov then tipped Eric Brewer’s blast past Holtby to give
the Lightning the lead.
Brouwer’s power-play goal made it 3-3 with 59 seconds left in the second.
Johansson controlled the puck at the side of the net before finding
Brouwer in the slot.
Game Notes
Lightning center Alex Killorn left the game with an upper-body injury … The
Capitals play at home against the Arizona Coyotes on Sunday, while the
Lightning are off until Thursday when they play the Flames.
