TAMPA, Fla. — Andrei Vasilevskiy achieved his 35th career shutout, making 31 saves as the Tampa Bay Lightning triumphed over the Washington Capitals with a 3-0 win Saturday night, effectively putting an end to the Capitals’ five-game winning streak.

Vasilevskiy showcased exceptional skill, especially during the second period, where he prevented all 16 shots directed at him. He notably denied Pierre-Luc Dubois and Dylan Strome in critical moments late in that period, also receiving some luck when a shot from Dubois hit the post. This victory marked Vasilevskiy’s 297th career win and was his first shutout against the Capitals.

The Lightning opened the scoring at 5:27 in the second period, with Mitchell Chaffee redirecting a shot from Nick Paul past Capitals goalie Charlie Lindgren, who ended the game with 17 saves. Brayden Point doubled the lead with a goal 2:26 into the third period, followed by Conor Geekie netting his first NHL goal just 44 seconds later.

Nikita Kucherov maintained an impressive point streak to start the season, extending it to eight games with a primary assist on Point’s goal. Meanwhile, Washington’s star player Alex Ovechkin, who has tallied 50 career goals in 82 outings against Tampa Bay, could only muster two shots on goal during the matchup.

Key takeaways from the game highlight the Capitals’ offensive production; during their five-game winning spree, they had outscored opponents 23-13. On the other hand, the Lightning have scored first in all eight games this season, although this particular victory marked the first instance where they scored fewer than four goals in their five wins.

A crucial moment came early in the game when Vasilevskiy thwarted a breakaway attempt by Aliaksei Protas just 2:28 into the first period, ensuring the game remained scoreless at that stage.

In terms of statistics, the Capitals struggled on the power play, going 0-for-2 during the game, which brought their season total to 2-for-23. This continued stretch marked five games without a goal on the man advantage.

Looking ahead, the Capitals are set to host the New York Rangers on Tuesday night, while the Lightning will welcome the Nashville Predators on Monday night.