Stars at Lightning
The Tampa Bay Lightning face a must-win game in their quest for an Eastern Conference playoff spot when they host the Dallas Stars on Sunday in the second contest of back-to-back sets for both teams. The Lightning lost 2-1 in overtime to Montreal on Saturday but earned a point in their fifth straight contest (4-0-1) and trail Boston by four for the second wild card with one game in hand.
Yanni Gourde scored in his third straight game for Tampa Bay, which possibly could have Tyler Johnson (lower body) back in the lineup while captain Steven Stamkos is close to being ready after missing 4 ½ months following knee surgery. Nikita Kucherov (38 goals, 80 assists), who just missed on a 2-on-1 rush in overtime for the Lightning on Saturday after missing the previous game due to illness, looks to warm up again after being named the NHL’s First Star of the Month for March. Dallas, which will miss the playoffs after finishing first in the Central Division in 2015-16, knocked off red-hot Carolina 3-0 on Saturday to end a two-game slide during which it scored just once. The Stars have won their last three meetings with Tampa Bay, including a 4-3 overtime triumph on Feb. 18 at home.
TV: 6 p.m. ET, FSN Southwest Plus (Dallas), FSN Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE STARS (32-35-11): Tyler Seguin leads Dallas with 70 points despite being held to two in his last eight games while captain Jamie Benn (67), who scored the winning goal against Tampa Bay in the last meeting, has been kept off the scoresheet in his last three contests. Jason Spezza and defenseman John Klingberg each scored their 13th goal Saturday and rookie center Devin Shore added his 12th. With Curtis McKenzie (eye) and Ales Hemsky (lower body) out against Carolina, the Stars recalled fellow forwards Gemel Smith and Justin Dowling for the contest.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (38-29-10): Andrei Vasilevskiy was outstanding with 34 saves Saturday to get Tampa Bay a point, but he is expected to be rested Sunday in favor of backup Peter Budaj. Victor Hedman picked up his 52nd assist, one behind Ottawa’s Erik Karlsson for the league lead among defensemen, on Saturday and has recorded 32 power-play points - most among blue-liners. Gourde, who was playing in the ECHL in 2013-14, has scored a short-handed tally, an overtime winner and Saturday’s third-period equalizer among his four goals this season.
OVERTIME
1. Dallas LW Antoine Roussel, who registered a hat trick in the first meeting with Tampa Bay, is out for the season with a hand injury.
2. Tampa Bay LW Jonathan Drouin notched an assist on Gourde’s goal Saturday, giving him nine points in his last seven contests.
3. The Stars led the league in scoring last season (3.23 goals per game) and sits 17th (2.69) with four games remaining in 2016-17.