The Washington Capitals look to go up 3-0 in the Eastern Conference Final with a win in Game 3 on Tuesday at Capital One Arena.
The Capitals improved to 7-1 on the road in the playoffs with Sunday’s 6-2 victory over the Lightning, which lost two straight games for the first time this postseason.
The odds are in Washington’s favor as road teams that have gone up 2-0 in conference finals have an 18-1 series record. Washington is 3-3 at home in this year’s playoffs.
Lars Eller, who has moved up to the second line for an injured Nicklas Backstrom (right hand), and Evgeny Kuznetsov had a goal and two assists in Game 2. Alex Ovechkin and Tom Wilson each tallied a goal and an assist.
Braden Holtby has shined in net for the Capitals, stopping 52 of 56 shots in the series.
Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos both scored for Tampa Bay in Game 2, while Andrei Vasilevskiy made 31 saves.
Tampa Bay is in a virtual must-win situation as only four teams in NHL history have rallied to win a playoff series after falling in a 3-0 series hole: Toronto Maple Leafs (1942 Cup Final), New York Islanders (1975 quarterfinal), Philadelphia Flyers (2010 conference final) and Los Angeles Kings (2014 quarterfinal).
How to watch Tuesday’s game:
Stanley Cup playoffs schedule
| Matchup | Series | Time | TV |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 5: Washington at Vegas | WSH 3-1 | 7 p.m. | NBC |
SB Nation sites to follow on Twitter:
Tampa Bay (@RawCharge) at Washington (@JapersRink)