Lightning at Jets
The Tampa Bay Lightning rebounded from a rough stretch with three straight road victories before the All-Star break and look to continue their surge Tuesday when they begin another four-game trek against the Central Division-leading Winnipeg Jets. The league-best Lightning surrendered 18 goals in a four-game period to end a 2-4-1 swoon before limiting their last three opponents to four combined.
“I think we’re starting to find our way back to the team we were,” Tampa Bay defenseman Anton Stralman told reporters. “And what we want to be.” The Lightning is still without Norris Trophy candidate Victor Hedman (lower-body), although he has begun skating, while the Jets announced Sunday that top-four defenseman Jacob Trouba would miss 6-to-8 weeks with an ankle injury. Tampa Bay’s All-Star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy will likely go for his league-leading 30th victory against a Winnipeg team that is 3-0-1 in its last four games and 9-2-2 in the past 13 after a 4-3 shootout loss at Anaheim on Thursday. Michael Hutchinson is expected to make his 100th NHL appearance and 2017-18 debut in goal Tuesday, according to reporters, giving All-Star netminder Connor Hellebuyck (26-6-7, .924 save percentage) a little more rest.
TV: 8 p.m. ET, FS Sun (Tampa Bay), TSN3 (Winnipeg)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (34-12-3): All-Star right wing Nikita Kucherov leads the league with 64 points (298 career), but has gone seven games without a goal and recorded five assists during that stretch. “The way I’ve been playing the last month, it’s been terrible,” Kucherov told reporters. “I’m not happy with my play or my game. … I have to do something a little bit better.” Captain Steven Stamkos recorded four of his 56 points in the last two games while fellow All-Star center Brayden Point scored three of his career-high 20 goals in the last four contests and boasts a plus-20 rating to lead the team’s forwards.
ABOUT THE JETS (29-13-8): Right wing Patrik Laine registered two of his team-leading 22 goals in the last three games and is second on the team with 39 points - 15 behind captain Blake Wheeler (five assists, eight assists in last 13 games) for the top spot. Center Mathieu Perreault scored five goals in the last eight games and rookie forward Jack Roslovic recorded his first NHL tally in the shootout loss to Anaheim. Trouba is second on the team in average ice time (22:10) while fellow defenseman Dmitry Kulikov (17:02) missed the last game because of an upper-body injury and reportedly did not practice Monday afternoon.
OVERTIME
1. Winnipeg LW Nikolaj Ehlers scored in only one of his last 15 games, but is still second on the team with 19 goals - including one against the Lightning.
2. Tampa Bay C Matthew Peca boasts a plus-3 rating in three games since being recalled and was 13-2 in the faceoff circle Thursday at Philadelphia.
3. The Lightning is 4-1-0 in the last five meetings with the Jets, including a 4-3 overtime triumph Dec. 9 in Tampa with Point scoring the winner.