The Lightning pinch out the Capitals

Vasilevskiy stops all 32 and Washington goes dark

Thirty-two knocks, no answer

The Washington Capitals threw 32 shots at Andrei Vasilevskiy in Tampa. Not one got through. In the round of 16, with a candle from each side of the matchup on the line, that was the whole story. The Tampa Bay Lightning were outshot 32 to 21 and still walked out with their fire burning.

The stakes cut deep. Each club had already snuffed a rival on qualification night, the Capitals the Flyers and the Lightning the Devils. Last season the Toronto Maple Leafs ended both of them: Washington on qualification night, Tampa Bay in this very round. One of them was about to go dark again.

A tip, then 44 seconds

Mitchell Chaffee broke the deadlock at 5:27 of the second with a tip-in, Nick Paul and Michael Eyssimont credited with the assists. It stood up as the winner. At 7:48, Brandon Duhaime and Emil Lilleberg dropped the gloves.

The third period settled it fast. Brayden Point beat Charlie Lindgren with a wrist shot at 2:26, set up by Nikita Kucherov, the first goal in 16:59. Just 0:44 later Conor Geekie hammered home a slap shot from Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel. Lindgren finished with 18 saves on 21 shots.

Fourteen still burn

Vasilevskiy did the rest, turning aside every one of the 32. The Capitals' flame went cold in Tampa. The Lightning burn on, one of 14 candles still lit on the shelves.