Lightning at Blue Jackets
The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to fight through adversity as they begin a critical three-game road trip against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Monday. The Lightning could be down as many as five regular forwards due to injury after outshooting Washington 36-20 on Saturday in a crushing 2-1 defeat.
Cedric Paquette, Erik Condra and Tyler Johnson, a 29-goal scorer last season, have been in and out of the lineup all campaign while Tampa Bay lost Jonathan Drouin and Ondrej Palat to injuries Saturday. “I’m just speechless in how this is going,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters. The Blue Jackets also are without former Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky (groin) as they have lost six of their last seven games (1-3-3) after fighting back from a rough start. “We’re not going to get down,” Columbus coach John Tortorella, who led the Lightning to the Stanley Cup in 2004, told reporters. “Our record is what it is. I suggest we don’t look at it and worry about getting better each day.”
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FSN Ohio (Columbus)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (14-13-3): Tampa Bay went 35-3-5 when it allowed two goals or fewer last season on the way to the Stanley Cup Final and are 10-6-1 in those situations through the first 30 games of 2015-16. “There is no magic potion that you drink before the games that can make you score goals,” captain Steven Stamkos told reporters Saturday. “It’s work ethic and playing the right way, which we did. Sometimes you don’t get rewarded.” Nikita Kucherov has scored five goals in his last four games to tie Stamkos for the team lead with 11.
ABOUT THE BLUE JACKETS (11-17-3): Columbus allowed 19 shots in the 3-2 overtime setback against the New York Islanders at home on Saturday, losing by a goal for the fourth time this month. “It just (stinks) not getting the result,” captain Nick Foligno told reporters. “We’re doing a lot of good things, but it shows you that you have to be consistently good. You can’t just do it every now and then and hope for the best.” Scott Hartnell has posted three goals and three assists during his four-game point streak to tie Ryan Johansen for the team lead with 22 points.
OVERTIME
1. Columbus RW Cam Atkinson has recorded three goals in his last two contests after going five games without a point.
2. The Lightning have successfully killed all eight of their penalties over the last three games.
3. Tampa Bay won two of the three meetings last season, including a 7-4 victory at Columbus.