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WASHINGTON — With reports of their demise proven premature Mitch Unrein Jersey , the Tampa Bay Lightning will look to even their Eastern Conference Final with the Washington Capitals when the teams meet in Game 4 on Thursday night.

With a win, the Lightning can regain the home-ice advantage — or disadvantage, as the visiting team has won the first three games — before the teams travel to Tampa Bay for Saturday’s Game 5.

The Lightning climbed back into the series with Tuesday’s 4-2 win, improving to 4-1 on the road in the 2018 playoffs.

Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had a goal and an assist, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 36 saves as Tampa Bay built a 3-0 lead and short-circuited Washington’s rally.

“We haven’t done anything yet, we haven’t accomplished anything yet,” Stamkos, who has five goals and four assists in a six-game point streak, told reporters on Wednesday. “We got ourselves back in the series by playing a lot more of a structured game and we’re confident we can do that again.”

In Game 3. the Lightning righted some of the wrongs that plagued them in Games 1 and 2, including scoring two even-strength goals — after scoring a total of two in the first two games — and winning the special teams battle, finishing 2-for-5 on the power play while Washington went 0-for-3.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper also opted to juggle his top three lines and was rewarded with additional offense without hurting his defense.

“Yeah, we tweaked our lines Andre Reed Jersey ,” Cooper told the team’s website Wednesday. “Was that the recipe? It was the way we played. That was the recipe. … We played better as a team.”

Brett Connolly’s goal pulled the Capitals within 3-1 and Evgeny Kuznetsov scored late as Washington fell to 3-4 at home in the playoffs.

Braden Holtby made 19 saves, allowing four goals for the first time in the postseason.

Now it’s Washington’s turn to respond.

“We weren’t playing as sharp as we normally can,” Capitals coach Barry Trotz told nhl.com. “We weren’t executing the way we normally did in the last couple of games. We were just off a little bit, and you can’t be off in this game to have success. We will be better next game.”

Washington could get a boost if center Nicklas Backstrom, who has missed the last four games with an injured hand, returns. He has been skating with the team and participated in Wednesday’s optional practice.

Backstrom had 21 goals and 50 assists in the regular season and has three goals and 10 assists in 11 playoff games.

“You can’t replace a guy like him,” Jay Beagle told the Washington Post. “He’s one of our key leaders and one of our best players. He’s a guy who makes this team click and makes us go. Obviously to get him back would be huge.”

This is the fifth time since conference finals started in 1982 that the first three games were all won by the road team, according to STATS, Inc.

The 1995 series (New Jersey-Philadelphia) and the 2004 series (Calgary-San Jose) both had the road team win the first five games before the home team closed it out in Game 6. There has not been a best-of-five or best-of-seven playoff series in which the road team won every game.

Washington will look to end the visiting streak in this series.

“You have to have a short memory and get the rest, regroup and have fun, enjoy the game,” Kuznetsov told nhl.com. “No one expected 4-0, right? We all know it’s going to be a tough series. We just have to relax a little bit and stay positive.”

Chicago quarterback Mitch Trubisky and Denver QB Case Keenum feel better about their respective offenses after starting out faster and finally moving the chains Saturday night.

"Scoring points always feels better Mark Andrews Jersey ," said Keenum, who led two scoring drives in three possessions one week after his dud of a Denver debut.

Trubisky also bounced back from a dismal debut last week by connecting with Trey Burton for his first score of the summer.

"We can find answers in this offense," said Trubisky, who's learning first-year coach Matt Nagy's philosophies. "The playmakers are going to get open. It's my job to get them the ball."

Keenum's new backup Chad Kelly threw another touchdown pass after leapfrogging Paxton Lynch, but it was Bears backup Chase Daniel who had the best night of all.

He led Chicago's fantastic finish by throwing for a pair of touchdowns in the final five minutes Saturday night to spark Chicago's come-from-behind 24-23 win.

With the Broncos in control at 23-10, Lynch entered the game to a thunderclap of boos, which only increased through three drives that went nowhere.

"Well, I feel bad for Paxton, but our fans want to win," Broncos coach Vance Joseph said. "That's what it's about, it's about passion, I should say. But I feel bad for Paxton. But he has to ignore it and go play. It's professional football. No one's going to hold your hand, so he has to go out there and perform."

Lynch played poorly again.

A week after his 24-yard performance led to his demotion Dmitry Kulikov Jersey , he threw for just 39 yards on 5-of-11 passing with a pair of sacks.

He nevertheless had the Broncos (0-2) in field goal range when he hit Isaiah McKenzie on a short slant route and the speedy receiver who fumbled six times as a rookie, coughed up the football on second effort at the Chicago 37 and linebacker Isaiah Irving recovered it with 58 seconds left.

The Broncos can only hope McKenzie doesn't crumble from his latest fumble.

"He's a good young player, he's had a good camp and he played well last week, so hopefully it doesn't set him back," Joseph said.

Daniel threw a 2-yard TD pass to running back Taquan Mizzell with 4:38 left and then hit tight end Ben Braunecker with 1:53 remaining to tie it. Pat O'Donnell's extra point gave Chicago (1-2) its first lead.

BOUNCE-BACK

After a pair of three-and-outs last week, Keenum rebounded from another three-and-out to lead two scoring drives on his final two possessions, finishing 8 for 13 for 78 yards with no touchdowns and no interceptions.

Kelly had his second straight strong showing, this one just 48 hours after general manager John Elway indicated he might have to go in search of a veteran backup quarterback if he can't trust either Kelly or Lynch to come in and win games should Keenum get hurt.

Even though Kelly's three TDs are the only ones thrown by Denver's quarterbacks so far, Joseph's not ready to say he can trust him to be one play away from starting when the regular season begins.

"I can't speak for two weeks down the road here," Joseph said, "but right now he's our backup quarterback."

Trubisky threw for 90 yards and a touchdown on 9-of-14 passing. He also threw an interception and was tackled by first-round pick Bradley Chubb for a safety after the shotgun snap from the 1 went off his hands.

Trubisky said he's feeling more and more comfortable in Chicago's new offense.

"We're still hiding a bunch of good stuff, too," Trubisky said. "We're not showing all of it."

Kelly completed 7 of 9 passes for 90 yards and capped his first drive of the night with a 16-yard touchdown toss to rookie Courtland Sutton .

MILLER STARTS

Von Miller Mathew Barzal Jersey , who was held out at the last minute a week earlier, made his preseason debut for Denver and played a couple of series. Miller said he wasn't upset by the decision last week to sit him against the Vikings but said he did want to play.

SMITH SITS

Bears rookie linebacker Roquan Smith has practiced in pads just once since January, so it wasn't a surprise he was in street clothes Saturday night. Earlier in the week he became the last member of the 2018 NFL draft class to sign his contract and reported 30 days late.

"The timing wasn't good," to play in a game this week, Nagy said.

FLAG FOOTBALL

There was an incredible 293 yards in penalties, many of them of the new helmet-hit variety.

"I'm hopeful it won't look like that" in the regular season, Joseph said.

NATIONAL ANTHEM

Just like last week, Broncos linebacker Brandon Marshall and wide receiver Demaryius Thomas weren't on the sideline for the national anthem. Thomas (wrist) didn't suit up.

INJURIES

Bears TE Adam Shaheen injured his right ankle on the game's first drive and LB Leonard Floyd left with a hand injury.

S Will Parks said he avoided a serious knee injury. McKenzie, who had called for a fair catch on a punt, was evaluated for a concussion after Deiondre' Hall's personal foul tackle. WR Jordan Leslie left with an injured left hand.

NEXT UP

Bears: Host Chiefs on Aug. 25.

Broncos: Visit Washington on Aug. 24.

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