Maple Leafs at Lightning
The two top-scoring teams in the league meet for the second time this season when the Toronto Maple Leafs visit the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday. The Lightning have not been as productive of late while averaging 2.2 goals over the last 10 contests, but they can finish a perfect three-game homestand with a victory after enduring a 2-5-1 stretch. The Maple Leafs have cooled off with four losses in five games after allowing four third-period goals in a 6-4 defeat at Florida on Sunday.
Toronto had a shutout for its only win during the last five contests, but surrendered 21 goals in the four defeats and goalie Jonathan Bernier was a late scratch Sunday due to illness. Tampa Bay, which dropped a 5-2 decision at Toronto on Nov. 20, outlasted Pittsburgh 4-3 Tuesday and posted 38 shots before edging Carolina 2-1 on Saturday. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has 19 goals this season and boasts 27 points in 22 career games against the Maple Leafs.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, SNET-Ontario (Toronto), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (20-13-3): James Reimer has allowed nine goals in his last two games and Christopher Gibson was recalled from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League in case Bernier cannot go Monday. James van Riemsdyk has stepped up the last four games with three goals and three assists while Nazem Kadri has three points in two outings. Leading scorer Phil Kessel (38 points) has gone five games without a goal, but has recorded 15 points over the last 14 contests.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (22-11-4): Ondrej Palat, Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov all stand in the top four of the league in plus-minus rating and the line is the most productive trio for the Lightning. Kucherov owns six goals and 11 points in his last eight contests while Johnson (eight points, six games) and Palat (four assists on the homestand) have also contributed. Tampa Bay defenseman Jason Garrison could return from an undisclosed injury that kept him out of the lineup the last two games.
OVERTIME
1. Maple Leafs RW Richard Panik has recorded seven goals and a plus-6 rating in 33 games since being picked up on waivers from Tampa Bay.
2. Tampa Bay G Ben Bishop is 3-5-0 with an .885 save percentage in his career against Toronto, but is 12-3-1 this season with a .923 SP at home.
3. Toronto RW Carter Ashton, a former Lightning first-round pick, completed a 20-game suspension after a positive test for performance-enhancing drugs and returned the lineup Sunday.