Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: 5 Postgame Thoughts

What a game for the first week of the season.

A 6-5 victory for the Washington Capitals in the shootout against their postseason nemesis, the Tampa Bay Lightning, kicked off the season on a very interesting note on Monday. 

Jason Chimera for Washington had two goals while the second, third and fourth-liners added the majority of the scoring for both teams. 

Although it was a defensive nightmare, it certainly proved to be entertaining for the home crowd in Washington. 

Here's some interesting postgame thoughts after some good ole' Monday night hockey. 

Something Is Up with Ovechkin

You can blame recent death of his uncle or maybe perhaps jet-lag from his trip to Russia, but something isn't quite right with Alex Ovechkin.

He looked almost lost out there on some shifts, skating slowly in circles or just being lackadaisical in his own end. These types of things worry Capitals fans to the core. 

Granted Ovechkin showed flashes of brilliance, but his glaring laziness overcame the shine. Overall, Ovechkin had only three shots (also uncharacteristic of him) and a minus-two rating in Monday night's game. He even missed his shootout attempt.

For the sake of Washington, Ovechkin better get a fire lit underneath him soon and score some goals. He has been very anemic on offense for a while. 

The Lightning Know How to Score from Any Angle

The Lightning scored three goals that were shot from directly below the goal line against the Caps. One goal, scored by Teddy Purcell, redirected perfectly off of Mike Green's skate into the upper right corner of the net past Tomas Vokoun. 

Sadly enough, it was the first "shot" of the game and, subsequently, the first goal against Tomas Vokoun. That doesn't help any goalie's confidence. 

Although Vokoun seemingly picked it up later, and specifically in overtime, he also let in two other garbage goals through the course of the game.

A .821 save percentage with five goals allowed is very concerning for Tomas Vokoun and Washington in general.

That being said, this is not the first time the Lightning have scored from that area. It seemed as if every game against the Capitals during the 2011 postseason saw the Lightning putting a "garbage" goal in the Washington net. 

It appears as if the Lightning may have found a glaring hole in Washington's defense. Look for them to continue to exploit it throughout the season.

Marcus Johansson Is a Star in the Making

Apparently all you have to do to motivate a feisty and fast young NHL player is to sit him out for the season opener. Obviously intended to spark some motivation in Marcus Johansson, Bruce Boudreau scratched him against Carolina to start the season, putting Matthieu Perreault in his place.

It appears as if Johansson has learned his lesson. 

Marcus Johansson may have been the best player for Washington this game, netting a big goal and an assist as well. His ability to finesse past defenders was flawless and his speed was nothing short of jaw-dropping.

If he can continue to develop and play with the same intensity, Johansson may very well be looking at a very productive season. 

First Lines Are Not Always the Best Lines

Without question, Vincent Lecavalier, Steven Stamkos and Martin St. Louis are the three most dangerous players on the Lightning roster.

The same can be said for Alex Semin, Alex Ovechkin and Nicklas Backstrom for the Washington Capitals. 

In a game where 10, yes t-e-n goals were scored, it seems a statistical improbability—nay, a near statistical impossibility that none of the aforementioned six would record a single point. 

Looking at the stats, not one of the biggest six names on the ice registered a goal or an assist and actually combined for a minus-seven rating.

Granted, the Lightning stars looked worlds ahead of the Capitals leaders defensively, so the edge has to go to them. 

Tampa vs. Washington Is Forming into a Great Rivalry

This game was absolutely spectacular to watch. 

A postseason rematch went down to the wire, eventually culminating into an excellent shootout display.

With five more games coming for the season, Lightning and Capitals fans can rejoice in some of the most entertaining hockey in the Eastern Conference.  

Expect Stamkos, Ovechkin, Lecavalier and Backstrom to rack up points more readily throughout the season series.

Who else is excited?