It's time for the conference finals, and to get you prepared for the Eastern showdown between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Washington Capitals, we've prepared a statistical breakdown to set the table. (Advanced stats at 5-on-5 courtesy: Corsica)
Lightning 1A vs. Capitals 1M
| Lightning | Stat | Capitals |
|---|---|---|
| 8-2 | Playoff Record | 8-4 |
| 11 | Goal Differential | 10 |
| 54.33% (1st) | 5-on-5 Corsi | 49.71% (8th) |
| 7.76% (8th) | Shooting Percentage | 8.14% (5th) |
| .943 (3rd) | Save Percentage | .930 (7th) |
| 102.12 (2nd) | PDO | 101.19 (5th) |
| Nikita Kucherov (12) | Leading Scorer | Alex Ovechkin (15) |
After finally taking down the Pittsburgh Penguins, the Capitals face another stiff test in the top-seeded Lightning. The main storyline, of course, is Alex Ovechkin, who after somewhat quietly producing 15 points in 12 games so far, gets his first-ever taste of playoff hockey beyond the second round.
If he wants to go even further, he and his teammates will need to be at their absolute best, as the Lightning enter the matchup as favorites after dismantling the Boston Bruins in a convincing series win. Tampa Bay heads into the showdown allowing just seven goals in the last four games of Round 2, while overwhelmingly controlling play at even-strength.
Both sides have excelled on the strength of their high-powered offenses, and have benefited from rock-solid goaltending from two world-class netminders. The Lightning appear to hold the edge in terms of defensive corps, but in three regular-season contests between the two clubs, Tampa Bay won twice by a combined score of 9-8, and with a trip to the Stanley Cup Final on the line this time around, it's safe to expect an extended battle.
Game 1 begins Friday at 8 p.m. ET (View full schedule)
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