Lightning vs. Canadiens: Projected lines, injuries and storylines

[HockeyLady]

For the second time in a week, the Lightning face the Canadiens. Since last Thursday's 3-1 win in Tampa, the Lightning have put forth solid defensive efforts. Since that 3-1 victory, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has posted back-to-back shutouts in wins over Columbus and Toronto

That could pose a challenge for the offensively-challenged Canadiens. Montreal hasn't won in five games and they've only scored four goals during the difficult stretch. 

Lines from Thursday's morning skate. Subject to change.

Forwards
Vladislav Namestnikov - Steven Stamkos - Nikita Kucherov

Ondrej Palat - Brayden Point - Tyler Johnson

Alex Killorn - Yanni Gourde - Cory Conacher

Chris Kunitz - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan/J.T. Brown

Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Jake Dotchin

Mikhail Sergachev - Anton Stralman

Braydon Coburn - Dan Girardi

Slater Koekkoek - Andrej Sustr

Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy or Louis Domingue

Thursday's Matchup
The Lightning and the Canadiens are playing their second of four meetings this season and the first of two at Bell Centre...Tampa Bay downed Montreal 3-1 seven days ago (Dec. 28) at AMALIE Arena, Steven Stamkos netting a pair of goals, including one on the power play, to pace the Bolts...Also from that victory, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 31-of-32 shots to pick up his 23rd win of the season...The Lightning were victorious in their last trip to Montreal (April 7), Yanni Gourde (3 goals in 3 career meetings with MTL) netting a pair of goals in the 4-2 win...The Lightning have won six of their last nine regular season games in Montreal....Victor Hedman has recorded more career regular season goals (6), assists (19) and points (25) vs. MTL than any other NHL team...Ondrej Palat has recorded 1-4--5 in his last four games vs. MTL...Nikita Kucherov has tallied points (1-4--5) in three of his last four games vs. MTL.

Thursday's Storylines
Tampa Bay has the top road points percentage (.711) in the NHL and owns a League-best +25 road goal differential (second: LAK,+17)...The Lightning have won two in a row on the road and five of their last six road games...The Bolts had never started a multi-game road trip with two-consecutive shutouts until Tuesday and have never posted more than two shutouts during a multi-game road trip...Tampa Bay continues to pace the NHL for wins (29), points (60), ROW (27), points percentage (.769) and goal differential (+53)...The Lightning are off to their best start in franchise history with 60 points through 39 games, eight points better than the 52 points put up by the 2014-15 team (24-11-4) through 39 games...The Bolts lead the NHL for goals (144) and goals per game (3.69) and rank second for goals allowed per game (2.36), the only NHL team in the top six in both categories.

Injuries
2017-18 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 47
Current injuries
Peter Budaj - Lower body (out indefinitely) 2 Games
Ryan Callahan - Upper body (out indefinitely) 8 Games

Transactions
Dec. 31 - Recalled G Louis Domingue from AHL Syracuse

Andrei the Giant
Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made all 29 stops Jan. 2 at TOR to record his second-consecutive shutout and his third shutout over his last four starts...Vasilevskiy leads the NHL with six shutouts...Vasilevskiy has won five-consecutive starts and 10 of his last 11 starts...Vasilevskiy paces the NHL for wins.

Vasilevskiy's current shutout streak stands at 164:29 and is the second longest of his career (longest: 178:02 from Nov. 10-23, 2016)...Vasilevskiy has given up just one goal combined in his last four starts...Vasilevskiy has allowed two or fewer goals in 14 of his last 19 starts and a NHL-best 21 starts overall...Vasilevskiy leads the NHL for goals-against average (1.95) and save percentage (.937) among goalies with 15 or more games.

In the Nik of Time 
Lightning right winger Nikita Kucherov saw his 10-game point streak (6-10--16) come to an end in Toronto, but he still paces the NHL for scoring.

Kucherov's 56 points are tied for the most points through the first 39 games of a season in Lightning history (also: Vincent Lecavalier 26-30--56 through 39 games to start 2007-08)...Kucherov has recorded a NHL-best 20 multi-point games this season, including six in his last nine contests...Kucherov (97 career power-play points) can move past Roman Hamrlik and into sole possession of ninth place on the Bolts' all-time power-play scoring list with one more power-play point...Kucherov ranks second in the NHL for goals.

Over the last two seasons, Kucherov leads the NHL for goals with 65 (second: WSH's Alex Ovechkin - 59) and ranks second for scoring with 141 points (first: EDM's Connor McDavid - 145).