Lightning at Maple Leafs
The Tampa Bay Lightning attempt to stay alive in the playoff race for at least one more day when they visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Thursday night. The Lightning need to win all three games, have either Toronto or Ottawa lose three in a row and see the New York Islanders lose once to make the postseason for the fourth straight season after a damaging 4-0 loss at Boston on Tuesday.
“We’re not out of it yet,” Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman told reporters. “It’s obviously a tough hill to climb, and we need a lot of things to go our way.” The Maple Leafs can clinch their second playoff berth in 12 seasons with a victory after seeing a four-game winning streak come to an end with a 4-1 setback against league-best Washington on Tuesday. “We don’t want to get too far ahead of ourselves before the ink is dry on that,” Toronto wing James van Riemsdyk told reporters. “Obviously, it has been exciting to play meaningful games down the stretch. We’ve done pretty well, we continue to push forward. It’s only going to get tougher from here out.” Rookie Auston Matthews was kept off the scoresheet for the first time in 10 games against the Capitals and remains one goal shy of becoming the first Toronto player to reach 40 since Mats Sundin in 2001-02.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, TVAS, FSN Florida (Tampa Bay), TSN4 (Toronto)
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (39-30-10): Tampa Bay ended up one skater short for the second time in four games Tuesday after forward Gabriel Dumont was a late scratch to be with his wife for the birth of their child. It might not have mattered as the Lightning managed two shots on a five-minute major straddling the first and second periods before the Bruins took over the game. Leading scorer Nikita Kucherov boasts 81 points, but just one in the past three since sitting out a game due to illness, and defenseman Victor Hedman is next with 67.
ABOUT THE MAPLE LEAFS (39-25-15): Rookie Mitch Marner scored his 19th goal Tuesday and is second on the team with 61 points - six shy of Matthews, who is the odds-on favorite for the Calder Trophy. With three goals and an assist in the last four games, van Riemsdyk moved within one of giving Toronto five players with at least 60 points - joining William Nylander and Nazem Kadri as well. Goalie Frederik Andersen was rested Tuesday and should be back in net as he sits two from his career high of 35 wins (2014-15).
OVERTIME
1. Toronto C Brian Boyle, who was acquired from the Lightning at the trade deadline, suffered an upper-body injury Tuesday and is questionable.
2. Tampa Bay G Andrei Vasilevskiy boasts a .928 save percentage since fellow G Ben Bishop was dealt to Los Angeles in late February.
3. The Maple Leafs won the last two meetings, but dropped a 7-3 decision in the last matchup at Toronto on Oct. 25.