Money is tight everywhere, especially after the tax man came a callin’ last month.

If you’re like me, you’re pinching the pennies until you get your head above water. That means shortening your grocery list to the items in the discount “crash-n-bash” cart, cutting your cable package down to the stuff you can get free online in the first place, and bargain shopping when it comes to placing your bets.

That’s why I’m eyeballing the Washington Capitals' odds, now that they are down 0-3 to the Tampa Bay Lightning, heading into tonight’s tilt in Florida.

Right now the Capitals, who opened the playoffs at +600 to win the Stanley Cup (second-biggest favorites), are priced around +3,500 with their backs against the wall.

Sure, it may be a shot in the dark, but Washington has been putting up a good fight in the series. They’ve lost the last two games by one goal, including overtime in Game 2, and dropped the opener 4-2, with the Bolts’ last goal coming on an empty net.

And for those who think it’s throwing money down the toilet: Stranger things have happened. Just ask the Boston Bruins, who blew a 3-0 series lead to the Philadelphia Flyers last year.

I’m not wagering my entire shrinking savings account or my first born on the Caps. But at +3,500, I know a good deal when I see one.