Mishkin's Extra Shift: Lightning 4, Capitals 2 -Game 3

The Lightning knew that if they were going to climb back into this series, they were going to have to play a lot better than they did in either Game One or Game Two. They came up with such a performance in Game Three - their solid play helped them build an early multi-goal lead and then, once they had that advantage, manage the game well and get it across the finish line.

Right from the opening faceoff, it was clear that the Lightning were sharp in their execution. Their forecheck was effective in forcing some Washington turnovers in the Caps d-zone and the Lightning did a nice job of maintaining possession in the offensive zone. When the Capitals cleared pucks, the Lightning took away Washington's time and space in the neutral zone and were often able to retrieve the puck and reverse it back into the offensive end. Although the Capitals had some strong offensive zone shifts of their own in the first, those shifts were isolated and usually not consecutive. Still, when the Caps applied pressure in the opening frame, Andrei Vasilevskiy kept them off the board. He made 14 first period stops, including four during a Washington power play when the game was still scoreless.
Specials teams played a big role in the outcome. The Lightning went 3-3 on the penalty kill and netted power play goals on their first two opportunities. That early successful kill was important because it prevented the Capitals from gaining the lead. A few minutes later, the Lightning received their first power play chance and cashed in. The man advantage lasted 56 seconds and the Lightning kept the puck in the Washington end during that whole timeframe. The Lightning were effective at retrieving pucks after shot attempts so that they didn't lose possession. Just before Steven Stamkos' goal, Washington defenseman Brooks Orpik had a chance to clear, but fumbled the puck and the Lightning took it away. Moments later, Victor Hedman set up Stamkos at the left circle and Stamkos drilled a one-timer into the top of the net.
In all, it was a strong opening period for the Lightning. Even though they were outshot, 14-10, they owned the majority of the puck possession. A terrific offensive zone shift by the line of Brayden Point, Tyler Johnson and Yanni Gourde resulted in the Washington penalty that led to the Stamkos goal. The Lightning defended tightly and regularly disrupted Washington's attack. As mentioned earlier, when they had some breakdowns, Vasilevskiy provided his team with key situational saves.
The Lightning's most dominant stretch in the game came in the first 10 minutes of the second period. They got another power play chance early in the frame when Lars Eller closed his hand on the puck following a Holtby save. The Lightning needed only 16 seconds to score on this power play. Following an offensive zone faceoff win by J.T. Miller, the Lightning worked the puck to Nikita Kucherov at the right circle. He zipped a perfect shot into the top of the net.
Less than two minutes later, the Lightning struck again. The second period is the period of the long change, because a team's bench is across the red line from the defensive zone. Caps players had a long d-zone shift before clearing the puck. But they couldn't safely get off the ice because Braydon Coburn reversed the puck quickly. Eventually, Kucherov received a pass from Ondrej Palat at the right circle. He sold another shot before passing the puck to an open Hedman in the slot. Holtby was positioned to defend a Kucherov shot, so Hedman put the puck into what was essentially an open net. Over the next several minutes, the Lightning had more chances to extend the lead (including a breakaway for Tony Cirelli), but Holtby kept the score at 3-0.
The Caps' strongest push began with about 10 minutes left in the second. They got on the board after Matt Niskanen blocked a clearing attempt and the puck ricocheted to Chandler Stephenson, who had a two-on-one down low with Brett Connolly. Connolly buried the shot at 10:31. The next few minutes of the period featured some of Vasilevskiy's best saves of the game. He denied Christian Djoos during a delayed penalty call when the Caps had a three-on-one. Then, during the ensuing penalty kill, he made a terrific save on Evgeny Kuznetsov - it was one of three key stops he made during that Caps power play.
The Lightning only posted one shot during the second half of the second period, but it was a crucial goal for Point at 16:03. The Caps had more puck possession in the closing minutes of the period, but the Lightning got out of the frame with their three-goal lead intact.
During the playoffs, the Lightning have done an excellent job of closing out games in which they take a lead into the third period. It's true that Washington applied pressure (and scored a goal) after pulling Holtby in the final minutes. But for most of the period, the Lightning played an efficient game. They safely cleared pucks, got them deep into Washington end and didn't allow the Caps to recapture the momentum that they had before the Point goal. Kuznetsov's sixth-attacker goal with 3:02 left did spark the Caps, who posted six more shots with the goalie pulled. But Vasilevskiy stopped all six and the time finally expired.
Obviously, this performance was a vast improvement for the Lightning after two subpar outings at the start of the series. They executed well for much of the 60 minutes, both in getting the lead and then managing it. And when the Caps made their various pushes, Vasilevskiy produced important saves.
Lightning Radio Big Moment of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
Hedman's second period goal.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
1. Victor Hedman - Lightning. Goal and two assists. 2. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Lightning. 36 saves. 3. Steven Stamkks -- Lightning. Goal and assist.