Photo: Patrick Smith/Getty Images

The Washington Capitals host the Tampa Bay Lightning in the first of three matchups this season, including two at Capital One Arena. The two did not see each other last season when the NHL was forced to realign temporarily due to the United States-Canadian border closure. The Capitals swept the three-game regular-season series in 2019-20 against the Lightning by a combined score of 12-6 but fell to the Lightning 3-2 in the round-robin matchup between the two on August 3, 2020, in the Eastern Conference Stanley Cup Playoff bubble. Action from the nation's capital can be seen on NBC Sports Washington beginning at 7 PM ET.

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