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With the Washington Capitals leading the series 2-1, the Tampa Bay Lightning are in a do-or-die game.
https://twitter.com/TBLightning/status/997099418548654081
The fate of the NHL Eastern Conference finals will be at stake, with Tampa Bay looking to avoid the dreaded 3-1 hole.
Keys to Victory: Tampa Bay
The biggest key for Tampa Bay can come down to one thing: Momentum.
Coming off a 4-2 victory against the Caps on Tuesday night, the Lightning are riding a surge (no pun intended.) Coming off an impressive game from stars Victor Hedman and Steven Stamkos, this is the spark they are looking for to even the series.
Last night's #TBLvsWSH Game 3 winfographic. ⚡️ pic.twitter.com/zUDQqWwPXO
— #GoBolts (@TBLightning) May 16, 2018
Stamkos would take the opening goal for Tampa Bay at six minutes into the first period on Tuesday. If that happens in tonight’s game, it could be deja-vu for the Capitals. With Stamkos’ ability to score at will (27 goals and 86 points this season), he is one of two key playmakers for Tampa Bay in game two.
Mix that with the Bolts’ willingness to do “whatever it takes for a win”, according to Tyler Johnson, and there could be a comeback on the horizon.
Head coach Jon Cooper understands that they have to maintain the momentum by being able
Keys to Victory: Washington
Washington now has something to play for. They want control, and are willing to take any measure, to regain their own momentum.
GAMEDAY IN D.C. #ALLCAPS https://t.co/vFCnnmHIqb pic.twitter.com/UWkyD5ZQu0
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 17, 2018
Brett Connolly would put Washington on the board after allowing Tampa Bay to score three unanswered. While it appeared that Connelly would begin the upward trend of victory for the Caps, they were never able to get out of first gear.
Head coach Barry Trotz would share his thoughts on the Lightning’s win, as well as what went wrong for Washington.
The Caps are also going to call upon the scoring output of veteran Alex Ovechkin to cancel out the scoring output of Stamkos. Ovechkin leads the Capitals this season in goals with 10. If he can turn on his performance in this all too important matchup, the Lightning’s Andrei Vasilevskiy will be in for a very busy night on the road.
Washington will have to provide a high-octane offense to claim a victory and regain momentum. Washington will have the all-important advantage of home-ice. With this game taking place at the Capital One Arena, the team is looking to have the crowd rally behind them for a 3-1 victory. If sports has taught us anything, it’s that a 3-1 lead is a less-than-desirable position to be in.
DMV #ALLCAPS pic.twitter.com/6hg9CU1d2y
— Washington Capitals (@Capitals) May 17, 2018
Game Information
Game four of the NHL Eastern Conference Finals will take place at the Capital One Arena in Washington. The game will be live on the NBC Sports Network at 8 p.m. The Capitals are looking to go up on the Lightning and take a 3-1 series lead. Finally, for more continuing coverage of the NHL Playoffs, stick with ESPN 98.1 FM – 850 AM WRUF.
