Capitals vs. Lightning: Washington loses chance to move up in NHL playoff picture The loss extended a troubling trend: Washington has not won consecutive games over its past 15. The last time they accomplished that feat came during a three-game winning streak from Jan. 11 to 15. Steven Stamkos and Tom Pyatt each scored on chances created by Capitals turnovers while Lightning netminder Mathieu Garon held the visitors at bay with 23 saves. Brooks Laich scored the only goal for Washington and Tomas Vokoun stopped 21 of 23 shots he faced. The Capitals received a boost with the return of Mike Green, who appeared in his first game since undergoing sports hernia surgery on Jan. 17. Green finished with 14 minutes 14 seconds of ice time in a limited role as Coach Dale Hunter sought to manage the defenseman's workload. But Green's presence was enough to help Washington secure a valuable two points. Tampa Bay (26-26-6) opened the scoring 2 minutes 10 seconds into the contest after a turnover by rookie defenseman Dmitry Orlov sent the rush into the Capitals" zone. A shot by Tom Pyatt trickled between Vokoun's legs and over the goal line seconds later to put the Lightning up 1-0. Unlike the night before against the Florida Panthers when the Capitals thrived off their forecheck to create sustained pressure, early in the game against Tampa Bay they could barely establish themselves in the offensive zone long enough to take more than one shot. A pair of power plays in the first passed with only one shot on goal. Washington couldn't set up, let alone cycle the puck in order to test Garon. For the second game in as many nights the Capitals exited the first period trailing by one. Entering the meeting with the Lightning, Washington was 6-10-2 when allowing the first goal on the road. Another goal at the start of a frame, this time by Steven Stamkos just 1:50 into the second, put the Lightning up 2-0. Matt Hendricks turned over the puck at the Tampa Bay blueline to Stamkos, springing the NHL's leading goal-scorer on a breakaway. Stamkos deked and deftly snuck the puck past Vokoun's left pad for his 40th goal of the season. Stamkos's goal seemed to finally rouse some offense out of the Capitals, who started looking for shots and putting bodies in front of Garon. Alex Ovechkin recorded his first shot on goal of the contest with 8:34 gone in the second, but it was a redirection in front nearly a minute later that put them on the scoreboard. Laich redirected a pass from Matheiu Perreault as he cut into the slot to beat Garon to cut the Capitals" deficit to 2-1. The goal was the first by a Washington forward other from Ovechkin or Alexander Semin since Feb. 7. The Lightning responded with an even more frenzied push, though, and benefited from Washington's tendency to cough up the puck at inopportune times. Since he arrived in late November, Hunter has made minimizing odd-man rushes a priority, but Tampa Bay benefitted from what remains a problem area for the Capitals. One shot beat Vokoun but was swatted off the goal line and out of danger by John Carlson. Later, a shot by Teddy Purcell clanked off the elbow of the net's frame, where the crossbar meets the post, then shot across the goalmouth without crossing the line. Washington spent the final three-plus minutes of the second period killing off a pair of penalties, tripping on Green followed by too many men on the ice. The Capitals thwarted the power plays but it was time and momentum reversed before they headed into the second intermission.