Round 3: Eastern Conference Finals- Game 6
Tampa Bay Leads Series 3-2
Monday May 21 Tampa Bay Lightning @ Washington Capitals
Place: Capital One Arena
Time: 8:00 p.m.
TV: NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS
Radio: 106.7 The Fan, Capitals Radio 24/7
NHL.COM for Live Box Score
Last Game: May 19 Capitals Lost to Lightning 3-2 in regulation at Tampa Bay.
8-Ovechkin 92-Kuznetsov 43-Wilson
13-Vrana 19-Bäckström 77-Oshie
65-Burakovsky 20-Eller 10-Connolly
18-Stephenson 83-Beagle 25-Smith-Pelly
9-Orlov 2-Niskanen
6-Kempny 74-Carlson
44-Orpik 29-Djoos
70-Holtby (starter)
31-Grubauer
-- SCRATCH --
39-Chiasson
79-Walker
72-Boyd
63-Gersich
64-Pinho
28-Jerabek
22-Bowey
1-Copley
-- 1st Powerplay Unit --
77-Oshie 19-Bäckström 92-Kuznetsov
8-Ovechkin 74-Carlson
-- 2nd Powerplay Unit --
13-Vrana 10-Connolly 20-Eller
2-Niskanen 9-Orlov
Referees: Dan O’Halloran (#13), Brad Meier (#34)
Linesmen: Ryan Gibbons (#58), Greg Devorski (#54)
Standby Referee: Francis Charron (#6)
Standby Linesman: Matt MacPherson (#83)
Tampa Bay's Projected Lineup ForwardsOndrej Palat - Steven Stamkos - Nikita Kucherov
Yanni Gourde - Brayden Point - Tyler Johnson
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - J.T. Miller
Chris Kunitz - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan
Defensemen Victor Hedman — Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh — Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn — Mikhail Sergachev
Goaltenders Andrei Vasilevskiy
Louis Domingue
1st PeriodNone
2nd Period15:12 PP GOAL 77-Oshie, assists 19-Bäckström & 92-Kuznetsov 1-0 WSH
3rd Period10:02 GOAL 25-Smith-Pelly, assists 18-Stephenson & 83-Beagle 2-0 WSH
19:10 EN GOAL 77-Oshie, assist 19-Bäckström 3-0 WSH
FINAL: 3-0 WSH
by Isabelle Khurshudyan, Roman Stubbs, Scott Allen and Neil Greenberg May 21 at 3:03 PM
2018 NHL Playoffs: Lightning-Capitals Game 6
Alex Ovechkin and the Caps fight to stay alive in Game 6. (AP Photo/Nick Wass)
Eastern Conference Finals: Game 6
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Washington Capitals
Series: Lightning leads 3-2
Monday May 21, 8:00 p.m. ET, Capital One Arena
TV: NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS
Remaining schedule
Game 7 (if necessary): at Tampa Bay, 8:00 p.m. Wednesday May 23
- For the first time all postseason, Washington is on the brink of elimination. (Read more)
- Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin said this is “probably” the biggest game of his career. (Read more)
- For the Capitals to force a Game 7, goaltender Braden Holtby has to be a hero, columnist Barry Svrluga writes. ((Read more)
Top story lines
On the brink: Considering the Lightning power play is 6 for 14 in this series, Capitals center Lars Eller knows taking five minor penalties in two games is too much, esThe Capitals haven’t faced an elimination game in these playoffs before now, but they have plenty of experience in such situations. In the second round against Pittsburgh a year ago, Washington faced three straight elimination games, falling in a Game 7. The Capitals have been encouraged by their play for long stretches of the past two games, so their emphasis is in stringing together a consistent, 60-minute effort. Forward T.J. Oshie said Washington plays its best when it’s most desperate.
“I think that is a situation that unfortunately we tend to get ourselves in and maybe — I don’t know if it’s a good thing or a bad thing — but we almost feel a little comfortable there,” Oshie said. “So, I think we have some experience. Obviously, we’ve played in a couple of games where we could be eliminated, and a couple of those, we’ve had some of our best games in the playoffs in recent years. So, tonight’s going to be no different. To beat Tampa and bring it back there, it’s going to be a tough task. But we’ve got the right guys and the right commitment in this room to get it done.”
• Lineup change: Left wing Andre Burakovsky is back in the lineup after he was a healthy scratch in Game 5. The Capitals have just three five-on-five goals in the past two games, so Burakovsky’s return could be geared toward jump-starting the team offensively. Burakovsky missed 10 games because of an undisclosed “upper-body” injury, and his first game back was the first game of the Eastern Conference final. He struggled with just two shots in four games and no points. But the 23-year-old’s speed and skill could be game-changing if he rediscovers his confidence, a personal struggle for him.
“I’m feeling 100-percent trust from the coach, I do,” Burakovsky said. “It’s just this last home game or whatever, I think I kind of got a little bit [ticked] at myself when I didn’t execute the plays that I want to do. Obviously, when you get frustrated at yourself, that’s when you kind of put yourself in a bad position. I think I just have to stay calm here and forget about the last shift, focus on the next one. I’ve always been really, really hard on myself, and I’m probably always going to be. Ever since I was a kid, I almost always have high expectations on myself, and I think I just have to get rid of that a little bit. … That’s kind of my problem a little bit: I think when I’m doing something bad, I’m thinking about it for a long time, and it just sits in my head. That’s something I have to work on in the summer. I did hire a professional sports psychologist, and he’s supposed to be really good. I’m going to work a lot with him this summer and try to get rid of that because that’s something that’s holding me back a little bit.”
Burakovsky will be on a third line with center Lars Eller and Brett Connolly. Burakovsky said his goal is to play simpler.
“It’s definitely hard just to jump in the semifinal,” Burakovsky said. “When you’re out, you just want to get in and help the team and do what you did: score goals, produce, help the team offensively, play a stable game defensively. But what I realized is that it’s not that easy. I really thought I could jump in earlier and just play like I did before I got injured. But obviously, it didn’t work out as well I thought it would be. Just right now, for me to help the team in the best way, is just to simplify my game.”
• Home ice: The Capitals aren’t the only team to have struggled on home ice this postseason, but their 3-5 record at Capital One Arena during the playoffs has been problematic. Ovechkin said “tonight is the night” that changes.
“It’s not about home-ice advantage,” Coach Barry Trotz said. “Tonight, it’s about playing the right way, playing as hard as you can and getting the result you want. If you do that, you focus on the very first shift, this day, focus on bringing your best game. That’s where your focus has to be. And drop the puck and react to whatever is thrown at you. Once the game starts, you don’t know how it’s going to play out. Things change in a millisecond sometimes.”
A strong start would help the Capitals. Tampa Bay has played with the lead most over the past three games, and that’s allowed the Lightning to dictate the pace and style of play. When Washington got dominating starts in the first two games of the series, the team was able to maintain control of the game the rest of the way.
“I think we didn’t get the result the last game because of that,” Ovechkin said. “I didn’t say we was not sharp, but I think maybe you have to try to score first and let them open up maybe on some plays. … But we’ll see what’s going to happen tonight, but I’m pretty sure it’s going to be a different game.”
Players to watch
Alex Ovechkin: Washington’s 32-year-old captain said this is “probably” the biggest game of his career. “It’s two steps and you’re in the Stanley Cup final,” Ovechkin said. The Lightning effectively limited his opportunities last game; he didn’t have a shot on goal through two periods. He eventually scored on a one-timer during a six-on-five push in the final two minutes of the game, but the Capitals couldn’t complete the comeback. Ovechkin has carried his team this postseason with 11 goals and 10 assists through 17 games, and he’s going to have to lead the way again in Game 6.
“We can’t lose,” Ovechkin said. “They have the advantage right now, but we have to win the game and go back and play Game 7 in Tampa.”
Ryan Callahan: The 33-year-old doesn’t generate the kind of headlines that Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman and Brayden Point might, but he has been crucial in Tampa Bay’s improvement over this series. He checks. He eats pucks. He’s sixth in the league in postseason hits with 53 (4.1 per game), and he helped take control of Game 5 with a goal and an assist.
In Game 6, he again will anchor the fourth line, which has been menacing for Washington’ first line throughout these playoffs, as well as help with Tampa Bay’s penalty kill, which contained Washington in Games 3 and 4.
“I love Cally. He’s a guy, you definitely need him ion your team. He literally does everything,” Tampa Bay’s Tyler Johnson said. “He’s a guy when you watch play, he just kind of picks everybody up by doing the right thing over and over again, sacrificing so much. He’s a just a big voice in the locker room. He’s just a really, really big part of our team.”
Pregame reading
Immerse yourself in the Capitals’ postseason with The Post’s coverage of the Stanley Cup playoffs:
The Capitals need a hero, and it needs to be Braden HoltbyThe Lightning knows what’s at stake in Game 6: A chance to restCapitals’ Matt Niskanen is quick to take blame but deserves more of the creditThe Capitals got themselves into this mess, but they’re staying the courseAfter Game 5 loss, Alex Ovechkin moves on to biggest game of his illustrious careerSvrluga: The Capitals have spent all their house money. Do they have anything in reserve?Capitals’ ghosts of collapses past have suddenly sprung to lifeThe Capitals’ overachieving year threatens, again, to end in doom and gloomNicklas Backstrom returns, and the Capitals are again a team in fullFor whatever reason, the Capitals are not at home in their own buildingUnburdened by previous playoff baggage, Capitals’ young players help carry the loadAfter being blamed for Game 3 loss, Caps fans destroy broom signed by Nicklas BackstromI’ll have what Alex Ovechkin is having: Fans can’t get enough of Mamma Lucia’s chicken ParmesanSteven Stamkos is healthy, confident and ready to lead the Lightning’s comebackIn what could be his last run with Capitals, relentless Jay Beagle refuses to yieldCaps fan’s viral selfie with Evgeny Kuznetsov was even more charming than it seemedThe Caps and Nats are rolling, and Barry Trotz and Dave Martinez can’t stop texting each otherThese Stanley Cup playoffs have given the Capitals all they can handle. And they’ve handled it just fine.Lars Eller steps out of injured Nicklas Backstrom’s shadow and into the spotlightLightning defenseman tried to copy Alex Ovechkin’s moves. Now he’s trying to stop them.‘We are all about the Rangers South’: Capitals face familiar playoff foes in TampaBarry Trotz lacks a contract extension, but has perspective as Capitals pursue Stanley Cup
