Washington @ Tampa Bay preview

Last Meeting ( Mar 20, 2019 ) Tampa Bay 5, Washington 4

The Washington Capitals look to avoid getting swept in the season series and remain on track for a fourth straight Metropolitan Division title when they visit the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday night. The Capitals have dropped the first two contests against the Lightning this season, including a 5-4 overtime setback at home last week, and lead the division by three points with four games left after clinching a playoff spot Thursday.

“The more you play, the more you realize seeding doesn’t matter,” Washington goalie Braden Holtby told reporters after Thursday’s 3-2 win at Carolina. “Your goal is to make the playoffs. We’re supposed to make the playoffs; maybe we take it a bit for granted. We’ve been lucky to have good teams. Every team is close.” Capitals captain Alex Ovechkin needs one goal to join Wayne Gretzky and Mike Bossy as the only players in NHL history to score 50 in at least eight different seasons while Tampa Bay is looking to become the third team in NHL history to record 60 regular-season wins, which would tie the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens for second. The Lightning have won eight of their last nine contests after rallying to beat Boston 5-4 on Monday and enjoyed some rest before tackling the final five games in eight days. “It’s such a grind of a season playing so many games in so many nights,” Tampa Bay center Anthony Cirelli told reporters. “We know what’s upcoming and what’s ahead. I think anytime we can get some rest in between games is good. I think it’s at a pretty good time.”

TV: 7 p.m. ET, NHL Network, NBCS Washington, FS Sun (Tampa Bay)

ABOUT THE CAPITALS (46-24-8): Washington rallied with two goals in the third period Thursday, capped by forward Nic Dowd’s tally with 4:56 to go, and reached 100 points for the fifth straight season. Ovechkin, who managed just one goal in his last six games, leads the team with 86 points while center Nicklas Backstrom is next with 70 and sits just one goal shy of his sixth season with at least 20. Right wing T.J. Oshie reportedly skated Friday after missing Thursday’s game due to illness and center Evgeny Kuznetsov boasts four assists in his last two games.

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (59-14-4): Cirelli has been a major factor on the defensive end of the ice all season and recorded five of his 18 goals in the last eight games, including the winner Monday. “Tony’s responsibility has been growing as the year has gone on,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters. “He’s starting to play in every situation now and he is getting put into big situations. He’s just a really responsible player.” Captain Steven Stamkos has scored in five straight games (six total) to lead the team with 41 and boasts 12 points in the same span.

OVERTIME

1. Tampa Bay RW Nikita Kucherov leads the NHL with 121 points - the most in the league since 2005-06 - and is two shy of 40 goals.

2. Capitals G Braden Holtby has allowed six goals during a 3-1-0 stretch after giving up nine in the two losses to the Lightning over a five-day span.

3. Lightning LW Ondrej Palat (eight goals, 32 points) practiced Thursday after leaving Monday’s game in the first period with an upper-body injury.

PREDICTION: Lightning 3, Capitals 2