Lightning defeat Capitals in shootout, win 3rd in row

WASHINGTON -- Andrei Vasilevskiy made 32 saves, and the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Washington Capitals 2-1 in the shootout at Capital One Arena on Saturday.

Luke Glendening scored for the Lightning (17-13-5), who have won three in a row entering the holiday break. Victor Hedman scored the deciding goal in the fourth round of the shootout.

“We’ve had to gut some of these games out,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. “We pull one out late against Vegas (5-4 on Thursday), and we haven’t seen Washington this year and they were a really good team. So, we’ve beat some good teams here in this little run we’re on.”

Anthony Mantha scored, and Charlie Lindgren made 19 saves for the Capitals (17-9-5), who had won three straight, all in overtime or the shootout. 

“I like where we’re at,” Washington coach Spencer Carbery said after his team earned at least a point for the eighth time in nine games (5-1-3). “I think we’ve done a ton of really good things. I think we’ve found ways to win games and I think to be honest with you we have another level and another gear.”

Glendening gave the Lightning a 1-0 lead at 7:29 of the first period, deflecting Hedman’s shot from the left point.

The Capitals tied it 1-1 at 2:01 of the second period when Nick Jensen’s slap shot from above the right face-off circle deflected in off Mantha at the right post. 

It was Mantha’s fifth goal in his past eight games and 10th in 27 games this season. He scored 11 in 67 games last season.

“I came into this year with a mentality to jump back on the train and it was a hard year last year,” Mantha said. “I was focused, determined to step up this year and that’s what’s going on right now.”

Jensen had a goal overturned at 8:39 after Tampa Bay challenged for offside.

“They’re hard to get through,” Cooper said of the Capitals. “So it was good to get that one early and, obviously, helped by the offside challenge, but two teams that play pretty tight and, hence, a 1-1 game and it goes to a shootout. But it was one that we’ve been on the wrong side of this year and it’s good to be on the right side of it.”

Lindgren made a pad save on Nicholas Paul, who got behind the defense, with 1:52 left in the third period.

“That was a game-saver,” Carbery said. “I had a good view of that from the bench and Nick Paul sort of threw it back and it was just a heck of a save.”

Vasilevskiy stopped Connor McMichael from point-blank range with 2:06 left in overtime. 

"I think it was two teams that are close in the standings, and it was a close game, you know?” Hedman said. “We got away with two [points], so we're happy with that and we’ll get home and celebrate Christmas and get back at it."

NOTES: Hedman has six assists in a four-game point streak. … Lightning forward Conor Sheary, a member of the Capitals from 2020-2023, played 10:23 and was plus-1 in his first game back at Capital One Arena since signing with Tampa Bay as a free agent July 1. … After the game, Washington sent forwards Ivan Miroshnichenko and Hendrix Lapierre to Hershey of the American Hockey League.