NHL Stanley Cup 2024-25 contender checklist: Eastern Conference edition
With the deadline just days away, that’s what we’re going to look at using the Stanley Cup Checklist. The Athletic’s Dom Luszczyszyn created the Cup Checklist in 2020 to find common elements essential to a team’s success between a decade of champions.

Detroit Red Wings, Washington Capitals

Detroit Red Wings beaten by Washington 5-2 after late rally by Capitals
Capitals score 4 goals in the 3rd period to rally to beat the Red Wings 5-2
Capitals rally to beat Red Wings 5-2, Ovechkin remains at 885 goals
Lightning beat Capitals to extend win streak to 8 games
But the Lightning are on a roll of their own, and they continued their best string of hockey this season with a 3-1 win over the Capitals, extending their season-best win streak to eight games.
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The Backcheck: More Big Cat magic, defensive focus extend Lightning's win streak to eight
It was just over a minute later that rookie forward Gage Goncalves’ second NHL goal extended the Tampa Bay Lightning lead to 2-0, a score that held as the game-winner in a 3-1 triumph and extended Tampa Bay’s winning streak to eight games.