Lightning at Stars
The Tampa Bay Lightning have been searching for consistency in their performance throughout the season and must rebound from another lackluster performance when they visit the Dallas Stars on Thursday. The Lightning are 1-3-1 since going on a nine-game winning streak after losing at league-worst Toronto on Tuesday.
“We need to understand that we need every single point we can get, especially against non-playoff teams, home or road, it doesn’t matter,” Tampa Bay center Brian Boyle told reporters Tuesday after his team fell to third in the Atlantic Division – two points behind first-place Florida. “We need to play better, and that’s number one.” The Lightning must raise their level of play a few notches when they take on the Central-leading Stars, who are in a battle for the division title with St. Louis and Chicago. Dallas is 1-1-2 in its last four contests after suffering a 5-2 loss to Los Angeles on Tuesday but could get back Patrick Sharp and defenseman John Klingberg from lower-body injuries on Thursday. The Stars posted a 5-3 win at Tampa Bay on Oct. 15 but have dropped three in a row to the Lightning at home.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay), FSN Southwest (Dallas)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (40-25-5): One of the consistent problems for Tampa Bay all season has been a struggling power play, which may be hitting rock bottom by going 4-for-58 over the last 19 games and 0-for-19 in the past eight. Captain Steven Stamkos has scored 12 of his team-high 31 goals with the man advantage and Nikita Kucherov has collected a club-best 22 points on the power play, but the Lightning are in the bottom five of the league (16.2 percent). Centers Cedric Paquette (lower body) and Valtteri Filppula (upper body) are questionable for Thursday's contest.
ABOUT THE STARS (41-21-9): Sharp (47 points) has missed the last six games and Klingberg (53 - tied for third on the team) the past five, but both practiced Wednesday and could be cleared for action. That would add to an already lethal offense that includes captain Jamie Benn (77 points) and Tyler Seguin (72), who entered Wednesday second and fourth, respectively, among the league’s scoring leaders. Jason Spezza is tied with Klingberg in points and has been especially hot of late, scoring seven goals in his last seven games.
OVERTIME
1. Dallas C Cody Eakin has netted three goals in his last four games and reached 30 points for the third straight season.
2. Tampa Bay G Ben Bishop, who should be back in the lineup after being rested Tuesday, has allowed fewer than two goals in five of his last seven games.
3. The Stars ranked second-to-last in the league in save percentage (.900) while the Lightning were tied for fourth (.919) through Tuesday’s contests.