The Tampa Bay Lightning will face off against the Washington Capitals on Saturday at Benchmark International Arena, with the puck set to drop at 7 p.m. ET. Both teams are looking to improve their standings as the Lightning currently sits ninth in the Eastern Conference with 16 points, while the Capitals are just behind in 11th place with 15 points.
Fans can catch the action live on ESPN+ or stream it via Fubo. For those considering attending in person, tickets are available through StubHub.
In terms of player availability, the Lightning will be without Nicholas Paul due to an upper body injury, while Anthony Cirelli is listed as day-to-day for the same reason. On the Capitals side, Ethen Frank is sidelined with an upper body injury, and Pierre-Luc Dubois is out with a lower body issue.
Statistically, Nikita Kucherov has been a standout player for Tampa Bay, notching 14 points—including seven goals and seven assists—over the course of 12 games. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has a 2.7 goals-against average with 244 saves, though his .900 save percentage places him 26th in the league.
For Washington, Tom Wilson has been performing impressively, contributing 16 points with nine goals and seven assists in 14 games, averaging 1.1 points per game. Goalie Logan Thompson is making a significant impact as well, allowing only 13 goals for a 1.4 goals-against average and boasting a .938 save percentage, which ranks third in the league.
As both teams head into this matchup, fans are eager to see which will emerge victorious and bolster their position in the Eastern Conference standings.