Tampa Bay Lightning Vs. Washington Capitals: Live Thread For Game No. 26

The Tampa Bay Lightning face a tough challenge as they head home to the Amalie Arena to take on the Washington Capitals in the hopes of avoiding a four-game losing streak and getting back on the right track. The Bolts will need all 19,092 fans in the stands to Be The Thunder and show the Capitals how we do things here in the Bolts Nation.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been on a wild ride over the course of the last few games. Injuries have finally started to take their toll on the team and defensive miscues and stalled rallies have led the Lightning down a rather dark path.

Thankfully, the Lightning have a tremendous opportunity to turn everything around and get back on the right track. Unfortunately, capitalizing on this opportunity is going to be easier said than done as the team heads home for one lone game before heading out on the road again to face the Carolina Hurricanes.

If the Tampa Bay Lightning wants to emerge victoriously tonight and bring home a much-needed two points, the Bolts are going to have to find a way to keep one of the most dangerous offenses in the National Hockey League out of the back of the net, the Washington Capitals.

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As Bolts By The Bay Contributor Will Clewis said earlier in his preview for tonight’s action between the Bolts and the Caps, the Capitals have quite a few players on their team more than adequately skilled at putting the puck in the back of the net. One of the most obvious is Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin.

Ovechkin currently leads the team in terms of goals and is second place in overall points. In the 22 games Ovechkin has played in this season, he has scored 12 goals and six assists for a total of 18 points.

In the other side of the ice, Nikita Kucherov has been holding down the fort for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the absence of Lightning captain Steven Stamkos’ absence. In the 24 games Kuch has played this season, he has brought home 12 goals and 16 assists for a total of 28 points.

Nikita Kucherov currently leads the Lightning in all manners scoring; goals, assists, and overall points. When you think about it for a moment, Kucherov is tied with Ovechkin in goals, has 12 more assists than the Capitals captain, and outperforms him in overall points. We’ll take those numbers any day of the week.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are certainly facing an uphill battle tonight against the Washington Capitals. There is no denying that (no matter how much we may want to.) At the same time, if there is any team in the National Hockey League who has had their name forged by the adversity they’ve faced, it’s the Lightning.

It won’t be long now before the Lightning find the spark they’ve been searching for and are able to use the fire in their souls to get back on the right track and hopefully take control of the Atlantic Division. Could it be that spark comes tonight versus the Capitals? We’ll have to wait and see.

If you want to be a part of tonight’s action and join other Tampa Bay Lightning fans as the Bolts battle the Caps, scroll down and join the party in the comments section!

Enjoy the game, and as always, GO BOLTS!!

Topics: Tampa Bay Lightning, Washington Capitals, Atlantic Division, Eastern Conference