Ducks at Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning always were able to pull themselves out of tailspins while playing deep into the playoffs the last two seasons, but the answers are deserting them in 2016-17. The Lightning, who have won only three of their 14 games since the beginning of January, look to find a spark to ignite a run when they host the playoff-bound Anaheim Ducks on Saturday.
Tampa Bay seemed to register a season-changing victory at Chicago on Jan. 24 with a four-goal third period but is winless in three games since (0-2-1) after a disheartening 5-2 loss to Ottawa on Thursday. “The worst part about this whole thing is we’ve been there, we’ve done it and we can do it again,” Lightning forward Brian Boyle said. “It’s up to us, and we need to understand it. It’s not going to be a flip of the switch or an a-ha moment, it’s going to be hard work, a lot of sweat.” The Ducks, safely in a playoff position in the Western Conference, have lost three of their last five games after dropping a 2-1 decision Friday at Florida in the opener of their six-game road trip. Rickard Rakell, who leads the team with 21 goals, scored the winner on the power play in overtime as Anaheim edged visiting Tampa Bay 2-1 on Jan. 17.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, Prime Ticket (Anaheim), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE DUCKS (28-16-9): Anaheim has managed one goal in each of its last two losses and must find its game with a rough trek coming up that includes games at Washington and Minnesota. Leading scorer and Selke Trophy candidate Ryan Kesler leads the team with 40 points but has notched only three assists in his last eight contests. John Gibson was in net Friday and owns a .946 save percentage since the beginning of January, but with the heavy schedule, backup Jonathan Bernier could get the nod Saturday.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (22-24-6): One of the positives for Tampa Bay this season has been an improved power play, but even that has disappeared as the club has gone 3-for-29 over the last nine games (2-5-2). Nikita Kucherov leads the team with 44 points but has notched one in back-to-back games just once over the last month, and that was accomplished due to a late empty-net goal. Rookie Brayden Point, who was switched from wing to center on Thursday, has scored in each of his two games since returning from an upper-body injury that sidelined him for over a month.
OVERTIME
1. Anaheim D Sami Vatanen suffered an upper-body injury against Florida, and his status for Saturday is uncertain.
2. The Lightning are 7-0-5 in their last 12 meetings with the Ducks, including a 5-0 home win last season.
3. Ducks captain C Ryan Getzlaf is second on the team with 38 points and has recorded 11 in 12 career games against Tampa Bay.