Caps (36-20-10, 82 points) at Lightning (37-21-7, 81 points)
What » Game #67
Where » St. Pete Times Forum
When » 7 p.m.
TV » VERSUS HD
Radio » WFED-1500 AM
The Caps and Lightning battle for first place in the Southeast Division tonight in their final meeting of the regular season. Washington took the lead for the first time since Dec. 29 when it beat Florida in overtime yesterday. It’s been a while since the Caps needed to win a late-season divisional game. They rolled to the title the last two years without any competition. This season will be more like the end of 2007-08 when it came down to the final game. Of course, the playoffs were also on the line for Washington then. Barring a massive collapse, that shouldn’t be an issue for either of these teams this time.
The Caps are 3-1-1 against Tampa Bay, but the tenor of their games changed in the last three. The Lightning took two in early January in impressive fashion, but Washington responded in a Feb. 4 chess match where it neutralized Tampa’s 1-3-1 defensive system by getting a second-period lead and holding the puck. Plenty of stretch passes in that one – and a half-dozen icings – instead of trying to carry the mail through the neutral zone with the inevitable turnovers and counterattacks resulting. That’s how the Lightning earned a decisive 3-0 win on Jan. 12.
Bruce Boudreau decided this one didn’t have enough hype and went ahead and accused both Steve Downie and Steven Stamkos of being persistent divers during the morning skate. Here are some takes on that curious outburst from the Tampa Tribune and Greg Wyshynski at Puck Daddy. Boudreau tried this last spring before Game 6 against Montreal in the first round of the Stanley Cup playoffs – and it appeared to work. Canadiens forwards Max Lapierre and Brian Gionta both earned diving calls within minutes of each other that night. Don’t think the referees will be so inclined in this one, especially since Downie isn’t expected to play. No question, though, Boudreau has been frustrated with his team’s lack of penalties drawn lately and made issue of it multiple times.
Also from Tampa, the Post’s Katie Carrera has a Mike Green update from the morning skate. Doesn’t sound all that promising, to be honest, but at least he’s back on the ice. I’d expect Michal Neuvirth back in goal and defenseman Jeff Schultz back in the lineup after sitting against the Panthers. Tyler Sloan had a few rough stretches last night.
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