The Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning will kick off their Stanley Cup Playoffs by facing each other.
On Aug. 3, starting at 4:00 p.m. EST, the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning will square off in their first game of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This game is a part of the round-robin tournament in the Eastern Conference.
During the regular season, the Capitals finished with the third-best record in the Eastern Conference. Meanwhile, the Lightning finished with the second-best record in the East. This earned them a bye from the play-in round. Now they get to play for seeding.
This game is a rematch of the 2018 Eastern Conference Finals, which the Capitals won in seven games on their way to winning the first Stanley Cup in franchise history. Tampa will be the home team in this matchup even though the game will be held in Toronto.
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ODDS
According to Odds Shark, here are the betting lines for today’s game.
- WSH: +115
- TBL: -135
- Over-under: 6 goals
Here are the Stanley Cup odds for both teams.
- TBL: +550
- WSH: +1200
INJURIES
WASHINGTON CAPITALS
Backup goalie Ilya Samsonov is out for the entire postseason after suffering an injury in Russia before training camp. Norris Trophy finalist defenseman John Carlson will be a game-time decision after leaving the Capitals’ exhibition game against the Carolina Hurricanes early.
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING
The Lightning are mostly healthy, though it doesn’t appear team captain Steven Stamkos will play, as he’s recovering from an injury. He’s still practicing with the team, which is a good sign. It’s likely the Bolts are just being careful with him, as they can’t afford to lose him long-term.
LIVE STREAM INFORMATION
Date: Monday, August 3
Start Time: 4:00 PM EST
Venue: Scotiabank Arena
Location: Toronto, Ontario, Canada
TV Channel: NBCSN, SN360, TVAS, SUN, NBCSWA
Live Stream: Fubo.tv (subscription required but you get a free trial), r/NHL Streams, NBCSN
PREDICTION
Capitals will win 4-3. I think the Caps are ready to win another Stanley Cup this year.