Penguins at Lightning
Captain Sidney Crosby is producing big numbers again for the Pittsburgh Penguins after a slow start, scoring eight goals in his last six contests, and must raise his game even higher with injured All-Star Evgeni Malkin out of the lineup. Crosby looks to extend his point streak to nine games as the visiting Penguins vie for their fifth consecutive win Friday against the red-hot Tampa Bay Lightning.
Malkin (lower body), who leads the team with 49 points, also is expected to miss Saturday's contest at Florida after recording four goals in his last four games. The Penguins have gone 6-1-2 in their last nine to move within striking distance of second place in the Metropolitan Division, while Tampa Bay has won 10 of its last 12 contests overall and seven in a row at home to take over second in the Atlantic. Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning with 43 points, notching at least one in 17 of his last 19 games after recording a goal and an assist in a 3-1 win over Detroit on Wednesday. Vladislav Namestnikov registered a hat trick as Tampa Bay beat Pittsburgh 5-4 in overtime on Jan. 15 – the fifth straight time in the series that the home team has emerged victorious.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, NHL Network, TVA, ROOT (Pittsburgh), Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE PENGUINS (25-17-7): Crosby scored two goals in his first 18 games of the season before netting 18 in the last 30 contests, but he has not been the only player to elevate his play during a surge that has seen the team record 17 tallies over its last four games. Defenseman Kris Letang (two goals, four assists) and Phil Kessel (three, two) both are riding four-game point streaks. Marc-Andre Fleury has not lost in regulation in eight consecutive starts, going 6-0-2 with two shutouts, and is 16-10-4 lifetime against Tampa Bay.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (28-18-4): One of the reasons Kucherov has been so productive is the return to health of center Tyler Johnson, who struggled with various injuries during the first half of the season. Johnson has registered 22 shots in his last six contests and netted a power-play tally Wednesday while showing the bursts of speed and skill that led to a 29-goal campaign in 2014-15. “If he keeps playing like that, we’re going to be okay,” Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop told reporters.
OVERTIME
1. Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos was kept off the scoresheet Wednesday and remains three goals shy of 300 for his career.
2. Pittsburgh LW Carl Hagelin has recorded five assists and a plus-4 rating in six games since being acquired from Anaheim.
3. The Lightning are 5-for-18 on the power play over their last four contests and 20-for-21 on the penalty kill over the last six.