Washington Capitals
WSH · 43-30-9
@
7:00 PM ET
Tampa Bay Lightning
TBL · 50-26-6
Season series
First meeting.
Last five
Recent form not published yet.
Leaders & goalies
WSH
- A. Tuch (R) — 33-33-66
- A. Ovechkin (L) — 32-32-64
- T. Wilson (R) — 30-32-62
- L. Thompson — 58 GP, 2.44 GAA, .912 SV%, 31-21-6
- C. Lindgren — 21 GP, 3.52 GAA, .879 SV%, 9-8-3
TBL
- N. Kucherov (R) — 44-86-130
- J. Guentzel (C) — 38-50-88
- B. Hagel (L) — 36-38-74
- A. Vasilevskiy — 58 GP, 2.31 GAA, .912 SV%, 39-15-4
- D. Hildeby — 20 GP, 2.86 GAA, .914 SV%, 5-7-4
Ferda on this game
The State of Hockey: FGCU owned the weekend, and the Panthers waived the wrong guy
Pabs on the week in Florida hockey: a club-team sweep at Hertz Arena, Tampa's finale, the Everblades' banner date and the state rankings before the opener.
featureGord's Notebook: Sharks kick Hellebuyck's tires, Kucherov waits on the cap
Fourteen items for opening week: San Jose's interest in Winnipeg's goalie, a $127.5 million cap projection, Larkin, Edvinsson, Tarasenko and a Montreal blue line for sale.
feature2026-27 playoff picks: Florida's path to a three-peat runs through Colorado
Sixteen teams, two wild-card fields, and a Cup pick that isn't as safe as it sounds.
featureMetropolitan Division predictions: Carolina's floor is still everyone else's ceiling
Eight teams, a Philadelphia team nobody wants to play in March, and a Pittsburgh core running out of runway.
featureAtlantic Division predictions: Florida still owns the room, and Montreal isn't waiting its turn
Eight teams, one division, and the boldest call on the board: Montreal finishes second.
roundupIce Breaker: Preseason's over, and Carolina already looks ready for Florida
Tampa beats Florida's kids in a shootout, Carolina blanks Nashville 6-0 before Tuesday's opener, and Lindgren stops 36 in Philadelphia.
