
Lightning Beat Capitals 3-1 in Home Opener
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Washington Capitals 3-1 in their home opener Oct. 4, 2026, with strong offensive play and solid defense. Brandon Hagel had two assists in the game, and the Lightning successfully defended all of the Capitals' power plays. Nikita Kucherov assisted Jake Guentzel on the game-sealing empty-net goal.
Advertisement
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Washington Capitals 3-1 in their home opener Oct. 4, 2026. The Lightning outshot their opponents, a performance bolstered by strong offensive play and solid defense.
Tampa Bay led 2-0 after the first period. Brandon Hagel had two assists in the game. The Lightning also successfully defended all three of the Capitals' power plays.
Washington scored an even-strength goal in the second period. Nikita Kucherov assisted Jake Guentzel on an empty-net goal late in the third period to seal the 3-1 win.
The Lightning will host the Philadelphia Flyers at 7 p.m. Monday.
Related Topics
Article Ratings
How do you feel about this story?
Laura Bennett
Sign in to follow this author from their profile.







Discussion (0)
Join the Conversation
Join the conversation
Sign in to share your thoughts, reply to readers, and like comments.
No comments yet. Be the first to comment!