TAMPA, Fla. – Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded his first shutout of the season, stopping all 32 shots he faced, as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Washington Capitals 3-0 Saturday night at AMALIE Arena.
The Lightning improve to 5-3-0 on the season and 3-1-0 at home. This was their first win against a Metropolitan Division opponent this season.
Mitchell Chaffee got the scoring started for the Bolts, redirecting a Nick Paul shot from the left circle at 5:27 of the second period. It was Chaffee’s second goal of the season.
READ: Lightning Honor ‘Feeding Tampa Bay’ Leader As Community Hero
Brayden Point extended the lead to 2-0 with his fifth goal of the season at 2:26 of the third period. Nikita Kucherov assisted on the goal, extending his season-opening point streak to eight games.
Conor Geekie scored his first NHL goal at 3:10 of the third period to make it 3-0. Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel assisted on the goal.
Vasilevskiy was stellar in net for the Lightning, earning his 35th career shutout, a franchise record. He passed Bill Durnan, Ilya Bryzgalov, and Steve Mason to tie Braden Holtby and Olie Kolzig for 57th on the NHL’s all-time shutout list.
READ: New Ownership Group Joins Tampa Bay Lightning Franchise
Despite the win, the Bolts were outshot for the first time this season. Washington fired 32 shots on goal to Tampa Bay’s 21.
Three Stars of the Game:
- Andrei Vasilevskiy (TBL)
- Conor Geekie (TBL)
- Mitchell Chaffee (TBL)
The Lightning continue their homestand on Monday, October 28th against the Nashville Predators.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Android Users: Download our free app to stay up-to-date on the latest news.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.