It has been a tale of two goalies so far at Verizon Center Thursday as the Washington Capitals and Tampa Bay Lightning, but the former struck first as the Caps lead 1-0 after 20 minutes.
After quite the goalie deal between Tomas Vokoun and Dustin Tokarski, making his first career NHL start, Keith Aucoin broke through with his second goal of the season at 17:08. Karl Alxner fired a slap shot from the point that Aucoin somehow deflected; Aucoin was being harassed in front of the goal by a Lightning defenseman, but somehow was able to get his stick on Alzner's shot and deflect it past Tokarski (12 saves).
Meanwhile, Vokoun has made 15 big saves of his own, scrambling and flailing in the crease on several occasions to make those saves throughout the period. Tampa Bay has controlled puck possession, so Vokoun has been the Caps' best players thus far.