WASHINGTON — The Tampa Bay Lightning were able to get two points out of their up-and-back trip to the nation’s capital Saturday night, but their 5-3 win over the Capitals at Capital One Arena came at a cost.

The hockey was the easy part for Tampa Bay. It scored four first-period goals on its first six shots after Washington opened the scoring 66 seconds into the game.

But star right wing Nikita Kucherov left the game in the second period and didn’t return.

Top center Brayden Point also left late in the period. He returned for the beginning of the third but went down the tunnel after skating just one shift.

After Justin Sourdif’s opening goal 1;06 into the game, the Lightning answered with four straight goals. Against a Capitals team that had scored 15 goals over its previous two games, Tampa Bay was buzzing early.

Brandon Hagel played a part in three of the first four scores, scoring two and sending a stretch pass to Kucherov for the fourth goal with 1:41 remaining in the first. The goal caused the Capitals to pull goaltender Logan Thompson after he had faced just six shots.

Kucherov’s three-point period was his 44th career multi-point first period, passing Steven Stamkos for most in Lightning history. He also recorded his 28th career three-point period, tying him with Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for most among all active skaters.

But Kucherov took just one shift in the second period before skating slowly off the ice hunched over 1:12 into the period after taking a high hit from Capitals forward Tom Wilson that appeared to knock Kucherov into an official.

He went down the tunnel, followed by assistant athletic trainer Mike Poirier, and did not return to the bench.

Then, rookie center sparkplug Dominic James emerged from a scrum against the wall after he was boarded by Capitals defenseman Rasmus Sandin, hobbling off awkwardly with head athletic trainer Tom Mulligan in tow as he went down the tunnel. James did return to the bench to open the third period.

Saturday had the makings of a great night for the Lightning after the first. They caught the Capitals sleeping on the power play, as Hagel tied the score with a shorthanded breakaway goal set up by a behind-the-back pass from Anthony Cirelli in the neutral zone.

Oliver Bjorkstrand, who has struggled to find his footing on the Lightning’s top power-play unit, scored his second man-advantage goal since the season opener to give the Lightning a 2-1 lead. It came after Kucherov’s attempt from the right circle hit the far post and went right to Bjorkstrand at the left circle.

Hagel then scored again, fed by Kucherov in the slot. Hagel returned the favor with a stretch pass to Kucherov to give him a breakaway.

Down to nine forwards down the stretch in the third — rookie Curtis Douglas was serving a misconduct penalty — the Lightning had to fight off a Capitals push.

Ethen Frank made it a one-goal game 5:24 into the period after Gage Goncalves was unable to get the puck out of the Lightning zone. Tampa Bay then had to overcome a 61-second 5-on-3 Washington power play and the Capitals pressuring Lightning goaltender Jonas Johansson, who also stopped Alexander Ovechkin twice in the third, once on a breakaway.

But Cirelli scored with 4:09 left, lunging to fling in a loose puck in the paint after Hagel’s shot on net, giving Tampa Bay a 5-3 lead that stood.

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