Connor McMichael Scored Two Goals in 5-3 Victory vs. the Lightning, 2/22/24

February 22, 2024

Connor McMichael Scored Two Goals in 5-3 Victory vs. the Lightning, 2/22/24

The Lightning lost their third game straight on Thursday, February 22nd against the Washington Capitals. Connor McMichael scored two goals in the Capitals' 5-3 win, their third straight win after losing two games.

Capitals lineup against the Lightning:

Ovechkin - Strome - Oshie

Pacioretty - McMichael - Mantha

Dube - Protas - Milano

Malenstyn - Sgarbossa - Wilson

van Riemsdyk - Carlson

Sandin - Jensen

Edmundson - Bear

Lindgren

Kuemper

Lightning lineup against the Capitals:

Stamkos - Cirelli - Kucherov

Hagel - Point - Chaffee

Eyssimont - Paul - Sheary

Koepke - Glendening - Motte

Hedman - Raddysh

Fleury - Perbix

Lilleberg - de Haan

Vasilevskiy

Early into the period, Nicolas Aube-Kubel recorded his sixth goal of the season to get the Capitals a 1-0 lead. Aube-Kubel shot from the right face-off circle with a backhanded shot after he split two defenders. Scoring his third in the last two games, Connor McMichael extended the lead to 2-0 at the right face-off circle with a wrist shot.

Brandon Hagel cut it 2-1, extending his point streak to 11 games (15 points; eight goals, 18 assists)... Hagel scored from the left circle and beat Charlie Lindgren stick side. Anthony Mantha finished off a 3-on-1 rush when he scored a one-timer near the post at 7:46 of the second period. The score stayed at 3-1 for the remainder of the middle frame.

Nick Paul cut it to 3-2 early into the third period at 17:19. Paul beat Charlie Lindgren on a backhand after rushing past Ethan Bear to get his 15th goal of the season. Tying the game at 3-3 with his fifth of the season - Tyler Motte with a wrist shot from the left hash marks. Dylan Strome appeared to have scored but it was determined offsides... Rasmus Sandin struck his third of the season to give Washington the lead. Grabbing his fifth in the past four games, Connor McMichael scored an empty-netter for the 5-3 final.

Notes:

- Dylan Strome and Tom Wilson each recorded two assists... Strome extended his point streak to three games. He has 40 points in 55 games - Strome reached the 40-point mark for the third consecutive season and the fourth time in his career. Connor McMichael has scored four goals in his past two games. Seventeen out of Anthony Mantha's 18 goals have come at five-on-five, leading Washington.

- T.J. Oshie left midway through the third... appearing to be a non-contact injury

- Haydn Fleury left in the first period after he took a hit along the end boards from Tom Wilson.

- Charlie Lindgren made 27 saves for Washington and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 19 saves for Tampa Bay.