The Tampa Bay Lightning will face off against the Vegas Golden Knights for the second time in two weeks on Thursday. The Lightning took the first game 2–1, with Nikita Kucherov scoring just 32 seconds into overtime.
The team opened their three-game road trip on Sunday with a 4–2 win over the Utah Mammoth, and are coming off a 3–2 loss to the Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night. The loss snapped the Lightning’s five-game win streak.
“It was good for a bit, and then we got in our own way. And when we get in our own way, it’s usually going to be tough for us,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “I loved our first period. It was unfortunate that [there were] untimely penalties. We took those tonight, but they were a better team for periods two and three. So, that was a little disappointing.”
Carl Lindbom is expected to start in net for Vegas, while Adin Hill remains sidelined with a lower-body injury. Lindbom made his NHL debut against the Lightning in their first matchup, stopping 26 of 28 shots in the overtime loss and finishing with a .929 save percentage.
Thursday’s optional morning skate saw Jonas Johansson on the ice, indicating that Andrei Vasilevskiy is likely to start in net for the Lightning. Also noteworthy, defensemen Charles-Édouard D’Astous and Darren Raddysh were on the ice, suggesting they may not be in the lineup tonight. Ahead of Tuesday’s game, the Lightning activated defenseman Max Crozier, who has been out with a lower-body injury since Oct. 14.
A win tonight in Vegas would let the Lightning head home with more points than games. Puck drop is set for 10 p.m.
