Gutty Lightning Win vs. Capitals in D.C.
- Dan Herrejon
- Nov 22, 2025
- 3 min read
Two of the league’s hottest teams faced each other in our nation’s capital. In net for the Lightning was Jonas Johansson. Logan Thompson was between the pipes for the Capitals.
Tampa Bay was still without two defensive stalwarts in Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh. This could be an issue as Washington comes in having scored 17 goals in their last three games. Needless to say, they won all three.
Great Opening
Just six seconds after the first minute, Justin Sourdif of the Capitals tossed in a fat rebound to open the scoring. If that wasn’t bad enough, immediately after that goal, the Lightning put the Capitals on the power play.
On the penalty kill, Anthony Cirelli made a no look pass to Brandon Hagel in the neutral zone. The streaking Hagel went to the high slot and snapped a shot past Thompson to tie the game with a short handed goal.
A couple minutes later, while on the power play, the Lightning’s Oliver Bjorkstrand blasted a shot past Thompson to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead.
Just after the halfway point of the opening period. Hagel potted his 2nd goal of the game. Now, the Bokrs were up 3-1 and clearly skating the Capitals off the ice.
As the first period was coming to and end, Nikita Kucherov scores to give the Lightning a 4-1 lead on the road. That’s how the period ended. The Lightning had six total shots and scored four goals. That kind of goal efficiency is unheard by of in this league.
Middle Riund
The Capitals made a goalie change to open the period. Thompson was out and Charlie Lindgren was in. About two minutes in, Tom Wilson hit Kucherov into the boards with a hit on the side of Kucherov’s body. After being still for half a minute, Kucherov skated off on his own but was clearly hurting. He did not play the rest of the period.
With the embarrassment of the first period leading to a goalie change, the Capitals buckled down on defense. By the end of the second, the Lightning managed only four shots. Lindgren stopped them all.
The Capitals did add a second goal five minutes into the period when Jakob Chychrun shot the puck towards the net and the puck hit a Lightning stick deflecting it past Johansson fir Washington’s second goal bringing the score to 4-2 Lightning.
Hold Firm
As the final regulation period begins, the Lightning have a two goal lead
On the road. But this is no time for complacency. Kucherov is out for the rest of the game so the Bolts are shorthanded.
Have to play smart especially in the defensive zone. Everyone in tge building know the Capitals are going to go all out. This style of play led to a Washington goal five minutes into the period. Ethan Frank blasted shot past Johansson to make it a 4-3 game with 15 minutes remaining for the home team to tie it up and send it to overtime.
This is when the gutty performance by the undermanned Lightning team showed up. The defense bent but didn’t break. The Capitals couldn’t maintain much time in the offensive zone.
With the time ticking off and tge game still in doubt, Anthony Cirelli punched in a rebound from a Hagel shot to seal the deal. Washington pulled Lindgren but it didn’t matter as the Lightning escaped with a 5-3 win and a well earned two points.
Three Stars
Brandon Hagel - 2 goaks and two assists
Nikita Kucherov - 1 goal and 2 assists in one period of play
Anthony Cirelli - 1 goal and 1 assist
What’s Next
Monday, tge Lightning are back home against the Philadelphia Flyers. Puck does at 7:00 pm.
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