Canucks at Lightning
THE STORY: The Tampa Bay Lightning will vie for their fifth straight win at home Tuesday when they host the Western Conference-leading Vancouver Canucks at the Tampa Bay Times Forum. The Lightning have posted an 11-5-0 record on home ice as opposed to a 6-15-3 mark on the road. Tampa Bay is coming off an 0-3-0 road trip during which it was outscored by a 14-5 margin. Vancouver is 1-1-0 on its four-game trek and has dropped two of three on the road. Overall, the Canucks have lost three of five.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, Rogers Sportsnet Pacific (Vancouver), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE CANUCKS (26-14-3): D Sami Salo missed Monday's loss to the Florida Panthers with a concussion. Salo suffered the injury Saturday on a clip by Boston's Brad Marchand, who received a five-game suspension for his actions. The Canucks also lost Andrew Ebbett in the win over Boston as the left wing broke his collarbone in a collision with Bruins D Dennis Seidenberg. Ebbett, who is out indefinitely, missed 18 games earlier this season with a fractured foot.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (17-20-3): Tom Pyatt enters the game against Vancouver with job security as he signed a two-year contract extension on Monday. The center has recorded a career-high three goals and two assists in 35 contests thus far this season but has impressed coach Guy Boucher with his other attributes. "We want guys to be relentless. Few guys are, but he is," Boucher said. "He cares about his defensive game and he’s one of those foot soldiers, so that’s what everyone respects." D Brendan Mikkelson still is waiting to make his season debut after being acquired from Calgary last week. Mikkelson has collected six assists in 86 career games with the Anaheim Ducks and Flames.
OVERTIME:
1. Tampa Bay's Dwayne Roloson has allowed three goals or more in each of his last eight appearances, going 0-5-0 during that stretch.
2. The Lightning have won three of their last four meetings with the Canucks.