WASHINGTON – Dan Boyle scored twice and Vaclav Prospal’s shootout winner gave the Tampa Bay Lightning a 4-3 victory over the Washington Capitals on Wednesday night.

The victory was the first in four shootouts for the defending Stanley Cup champions. The Lightning overcame a 3-0 deficit to win for the first time in 13 attempts in Washington.

Prospal was the fifth Lightning player to test goalie Olaf Kolzig in the shootout, won 2-1 by Tampa Bay. Brad Richards also beat Kolzig in the first round.

Kolzig, who made 42 saves, denied Vincent Lecavalier, Ruslan Fedotenko and Dimitry Afanasenkov before allowing Prospal’s winner.

Alexander Ovechkin scored for the Capitals in the shootout, but Lightning goalie John Grahame stopped the next four shooters.

Washington’s Matt Pettinger scored on a second-period penalty shot, then hit the crossbar in overtime.

The teams met for the third time this season, including their second faceoff in eight days. The home team had won each previous game, including two shootout victories by the Capitals.

Boyle’s second goal of the game and ninth of the season tied it 3-all at 5:45 of the third period.

Kolzig stopped two shots on Tampa Bay’s power play in the final 1:29 of regulation.

After taking a 3-2 lead into the third period, the Capitals managed only three shots in the third and just one in the 5-minute overtime.

The Capitals took a 3-0 lead in the first minute of the second period. Pettinger scored on a penalty shot 26 seconds in after being tackled from behind by Pavel Kubina on a breakaway. Only 13 seconds later, Brian Sutherby’s fifth goal of the season made it 3-0. Matt Bradley assisted on the play.

Boyle scored the Lightning’s first goal off assists by Fredrik Modin and Martin St. Louis at 3:58 of the second.

Rob Dimaio pulled Tampa Bay to 3-2 at 12:25 of the second. Kolzig smothered the puck in front, but Nolan Pratt knocked it loose and Dimaio stuffed it home for his first goal of the season. Prospal also got an assist.

The Capitals led 1-0 after the first period on a power-play goal by Andrew Cassels at 13:39. Ovechkin and Halpern assisted on Cassels’ third goal of the season.

Notes: In a pregame ceremony, Cassels was honored for becoming the 204th player in NHL history to play in 1,000 career games. He reached the milestone Tuesday night in Pittsburgh, where he joined Phil Housley, Dale Hunter, Calle Johansson, Kelly Miller and Adam Oates as the sixth player to accomplish the feat while wearing a Capitals sweater. … Both clubs played Tuesday night in Pennsylvania. The Lightning won 4-2 at Philadelphia while the Capitals dropped a 5-4 decision in Pittsburgh.

AP-ES-11-23-05 2254EST

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