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Lightning aim to grab 3-0 lead against visiting Caps

May 3, 2011 - 3:05 PM (Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to take a commanding 3-0 lead in the best-of-seven Eastern Conference semifinals when they host the top-seeded Washington Capitals tonight in Game 3 at St. Pete Times Forum.

The fifth-seeded Lightning have grabbed a two-games-to-none lead in this set by taking both Games 1 and 2 in Washington. After grabbing a 4-2 decision in the opener on Friday, the Bolts posted the second victory Sunday in overtime.

Tampa Bay, which was 25-11-5 as the home club this year, will host this evening's tilt as well as tomorrow's Game 4. The Lightning were just 1-2 at the Forum in their opening-round series against Pittsburgh.

The Lightning improved to 5-1 on the road this postseason with Sunday's 3-2 victory at the Verizon Center. Vincent Lecavalier's second goal of the game came at 6:19 of overtime and lifted Tampa to its fifth straight road win since dropping Game 1 to the Penguins in Round 1.

Washington, which finished four points ahead of Tampa for the Southeast Division title this year, had a strong 23-15-3 record as the guest during the regular season. The Caps were 1-1 as the visiting team while ousting the New York Rangers in five games during the opening round of the playoffs.

The Capitals have come back from down 2-0 to win a series just once in club history and that was two years ago against the Rangers. Washington had also lost the first two games on home ice in that 2009 conference quarterfinal series, but it rallied to beat New York in seven games.

Tampa defenseman Randy Jones began the winning play on Sunday, as he took advantage of a slow Capitals shift change and flipped a pass from deep inside his own zone up to Teddy Purcell at the Washington blue line. Purcell was then free to skate down the left wing, then feed to Lecavalier in front for a shot that was chipped over Michal Neuvirth for the winner.

Purcell collected two assists and Dwayne Roloson stopped 35-of-37 shots as Tampa posted its fifth consecutive win in these playoffs.

"It means a lot. Once again they played a great game," Lecavalier said when asked if it was important to snag two games on the road to begin this series. "They came after us, but 'Rolie' made some huge saves all night. Even in overtime, they played pretty solid. We took advantage of our chances."

Martin St. Louis added a goal and one assist for the Lightning, who have never lost a series after taking a 2-0 lead.

Brooks Laich and Alex Ovechkin tallied for the Capitals, while Neuvirth made just 20 stops in defeat.

"The series is not over. We're going to go there and we're going to have to win two games and it's going to be hard. We have to win," Ovechkin said defiantly.

Ovechkin has four goals and three assists in seven playoff games this season and 47 points (24 goals, 23 assists) in 35 career postseason outings, but Washington's superstar player has never been past the second round. As a franchise, the Caps haven't made it to the conference finals since its run to the Stanley Cup Finals in 1998.

Tampa Bay, meanwhile, is attempting to advance to the conference finals for the first time since winning its lone Stanley Cup title in 2004.

The Lightning played Sunday's game without forward Simon Gagne and defenseman Pavel Kubina, who both suffered head injuries in the opening game of this series. Kubina is questionable for tonight, while Gagne is doubtful.

Washington got forward Mike Knuble back Sunday after he sat out the last two games of the Rangers series and the opener of this set with an injured right hand. The 38-year-old Knuble is a physical presence in front of the net and was third on Washington with 24 goals in the regular season. He logged 18 minutes, 12 seconds of ice time in Game 2 and had two shots on net.

Caps veteran defenseman Dennis Wideman is questionable for tonight with a hematoma in his right leg. Wideman, who was acquired in a trade with Florida at the deadline, hasn't played since March 29.

This marks just the second playoff series between the clubs. The only other time these teams have met in the postseasons was in the 2003 conference quarterfinals and the Lightning won that series in six games.