Hurricanes at Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning look to continue earning points during an important stretch of their schedule when they host the surging Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday. The Lightning have recorded points in five of their last six games with an injury-depleted roster but must rebound from a disjointed performance in a 3-2 overtime loss to Toronto at home on Thursday.
Tampa Bay rallied from a 2-0 deficit to forge a tie before struggling mightily in its own zone against the young Maple Leafs as goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy needed to be heroic to secure a point. “It was turnover heaven,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters. “All the reasons why we took the game over and got back in it, we stopped doing that.” Tampa Bay can’t afford another effort like that against the Hurricanes, who defeated Chicago 3-2 at home on Friday and have gone 5-1-1 over their last seven contests to make a run in the Metropolitan Division. Carolina has allowed just nine goals in its last five games and shut out Tampa Bay 1-0 in overtime on Dec. 4 - just its second win in 10 games against the Lightning.
TV: 7 p.m. ET, FSN Carolinas, FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE HURRICANES (16-12-7): Jeff Skinner has been kept off the scoresheet each of the last three games but leads the team with 27 points - one better than fellow forward Victor Rask, who has been held to one goal over his last 11 contests. Carolina received goals from veterans Lee Stempniak and Jay McClement on Friday while the 22-year-old Elias Lindholm also tallied before leaving the game with an upper-body injury. With Cam Ward getting the win on Friday, it’s possible that backup Eddie Lack could see his first action since Nov. 10 after spending time away from the ice with a concussion.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (18-15-4): Ondrej Palat has been a force in two games since returning from an undisclosed injury, posting a pair of goals and an assist while playing with leading scorer Nikita Kucherov (33 points) and Tyler Johnson. The other line that has been productive consists of Valtteri Filppula (24 points), Jonathan Drouin (21) and Brian Boyle, who has scored five goals in his last eight games. Vladislav Namestnikov and Brayden Point both are out indefinitely with upper-body injuries while fellow forwards Ryan Callahan (hip) and Cedric Paquette (lower body) could return soon.
OVERTIME
1. Carolina’s 19-year-old RW Sebastian Aho has registered six points (two goals, four assists) over his last seven contests.
2. Tampa Bay D Victor Hedman has collected 14 points in 13 games this month and was tied for second among NHL defensemen with 24 assists entering Friday.
3. Hurricanes D Justin Faulk (lower body), who missed the last two games, has begun skating but is not expected to play Saturday.