Final Score: Tampa Bay 4, Washington 1

Tampa, FL (Sports Network) - Vincent Lecavalier scored twice to lead the Tampa Bay Lightning over the Washington Capitals, 4-1, in a matchup of teams on opposite sides of the Eastern Conference spectrum.

Tampa Bay, which has already clinched the Southeast Division crown, moved five points ahead of Philadelphia for the Eastern Conference lead and maintained a tie with Detroit for the NHL lead in points (103).

Fredrik Modin and Brad Richards also scored for the Lightning, who are 14-4-1 in their last 19 games. Nikolai Khabibulin made 21 saves in the win.

"We're not going to have as much ice to play on as we did tonight," Richards said. "But these are games that we've got to work on."

The Capitals have 55 points on the season, just one better than Pittsburgh's NHL-worst 54. They got a goal from Matt Pettinger and 28 saves on 32 shots from Matthew Yeats.

Lecavalier scored the game's first two goals. He staked the Lightning to a 1-0 lead 9:15 into the opening period after taking it himself on a 2-on-1.

His second goal of the contest -- and 32nd of the season -- made it 2-0 just 2:25 into the second period. He converted on his own rebound after getting stopped by Yeats on a breakaway.

Modin then made it 3-0 with 2:17 remaining in the second period, but the Caps got that one back when Pettinger scored on a rebound through traffic at 7:03 of the third.

But Richards wrapped things up with a goal midway through the final period, handing Washington its eighth loss in 10 games (1-8-1). Richards also had an assist on Modin's goal.

Tampa Bay was 0-for-5 on the power play, while the Capitals went scoreless on their only man-advantage opportunity.

Game Notes

Tampa Bay was 4-2 against the Caps this season, but Washington is still 13-6-1 in the last 20 matchups...Khabibulin faced just 12 combined shots through the first two periods, but was peppered with 10 in the third.