Panthers at Lightning
The Florida Panthers begin a five-game road trip that likely will decide their postseason fate with a Sunshine State showdown against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday. The Panthers reside five points behind Ottawa for the second wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference after going 5-2-0 in their last seven. The Lightning are two points behind first-place Montreal in the Atlantic Division and have gone 7-1-1 since losing at Florida on March 1.
The Panthers allowed two goals combined in a pair of wins since goalie Roberto Luongo returned from injury and also visits Toronto, Montreal, Ottawa and Boston on their trek before finishing with five straight at home. The Lightning boast a league-high 29 victories at home after winning three straight, capped by a 5-3 triumph against the Bruins on Sunday. Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos has recorded 23 goals – 11 on the power play – in 33 career games against Florida.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, FSN Florida, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE PANTHERS (33-25-14): Center Nick Bjugstad, who is tied with Jonathan Huberdeau for the team lead with 43 points, will likely miss the game with a lower-body injury. Dan Ellis kept Florida alive by gaining points in four of six games (3-2-1) before Luongo came back to make 26 saves apiece in wins over Detroit and Boston to reach 25 victories for the ninth time in his career. Florida must get more production on the other end of the ice, though, after managing nine goals in the last five contests.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (45-21-7): Goalie Ben Bishop stopped 87-of-93 shots (.935) to beat Montreal, Detroit and Boston in succession to be named the NHL’s Third Star of the Week and is one win from tying his team record of 37 last season. Stamkos collected eight goals and three assists in the last 11 games to match Tyler Johnson for the team lead in points with 66. Johnson’s linemate Ondrej Palat notched two points in each of the last two games after missing three straight with a lower-body injury.
OVERTIME
1. Florida RW Jaromir Jagr has two goals and five assists with a plus-4 rating in 10 games since being acquired from New Jersey.
2. The Lightning are 30-4-1 when they have scored at least one power-play goal this season.
3. Huberdeau has registered a goal and three assists this season in the two games against Tampa Bay.