Lightning at Red Wings: Projected lines, injuries, storylines

[HockeyLady]

The Tampa Bay Lightning have lost back-to-back games for only the second time this season after losing at Montreal and at Ottawa. Tonight, the Lightning take on Detroit in a matchup they've dominate over the past three seasons. 

 

Lines from Saturday's game vs. OTT. 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

Slater Koekkoek - Dan Girardi

Braydon Coburn - Andrej Sustr

Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy or Louis Domingue

Sunday's Matchup 

The Lightning and the Red Wings are playing their third of four meetings this season and second of two at Little Caesars Arena...Tampa Bay won both prior meetings this season by a 3-2 score...Nikita Kucherov's goal 1:47 into the third period, the second of his two goals in the game, broke a 2-2 deadlock and proved to be the game-winning goal in Tampa Bay's first-ever visit to Little Caesars Arena on Oct. 16...Ten days later (Oct. 26) at AMALIE Arena, Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos each tallied a powerplay goal and Brayden Point netted his fifth game-winning goal of the season in another 3-2 Lightning victory over Detroit...Tampa Bay has won three-straight regular season games in Detroit and four in a row including the playoffs...The Lightning have won nine in a row in the regular season overall vs. DET, their longest active win streak versus any team and fourth-longest win streak versus any opponent all-time...Andrei Vasilevskiy has never lost in his career vs. DET, going 5-0-0 with a 1.86 GAA and .940 save percentage... Tyler Johnson has points in seven of his last eight regular season games vs. DET, recording 3-6--9 over that stretch...Cedric Paquette has more goals (4) and points (5) vs. DET than any other NHL team and recorded his only career hat trick Jan. 29, 2015 vs. DET...Victor Hedman has registered one assist in three-straight games vs. DET...Nikita Kucherov has more regular season goals (10) vs. DET than any other NHL team and has recorded points (6-3--9) in four-straight games vs. DET...Steven Stamkos has points in five-straight games (3-4--7) vs. DET.

Sunday's Storylines

The Lightning complete a stretch of four-consecutive games against Atlantic Division foes tonight...Tampa Bay is finishing its seventh of 13 back-to-back sets...The Bolts are 1-4-1 in the second half of a back-to-back set with regulation losses in their last three...Tampa Bay has yet to lose more than two-consecutive games this season...The Lightning continue to pace the NHL for wins (29), points (61), ROW (27), points percentage (.744), goals (148) and goal differential (+49)...Tampa Bay is off to its best start in franchise history with 61 points through 41 games, seven points better than the 54 points put up by the 2013-14 team (25-12-4) and the 2014-15 team (25-12-4) through 41 games.

Injuries

2017-18 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 49
Current injuries
Peter Budaj - Lower body (out indefinitely) 4 Games

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

In the Nik of Time
Tampa Bay right winger Nikita Kucherov tallied an assist Jan. 6 at OTT, giving him points in 12 of his last 13 games (7-11--18)...Kucherov's 58 points are the second most through the first half (41 games) of a season in Lightning history, traililng only Vincent Lecavalier's 27-33--60 through 41 games to start 2007-08...Kucherov continues to pace the NHL for scoring by a wide margin.

Kucherov has scored at least one goal in 23 of 41 games this season...Kucherov leads the NHL with 23 even strength goals; he scored 23 even strength goals all of last season...Kucherov is tied for the NHL lead for g

Stammer Time
On Wednesday, Bolts captain Steven Stamkos was selected Atlantic Division captain for the 2018 NHL All-Star Game by a fan vote, marking his fifth All-Star Game selection (also: 2011, 2012, 2015 and 2016), passing Vincent Lecavalier (4) for second-most All-Star Game appearances in franchise history (most: Martin St. Louis, 6)...Stamkos ranks tied for third in the NHL for scoring, and his 51 points through 41 games are the third most he's put up through 41 games in his career (most: 31-25--56 in 2010-11)...Stamkos leads the NHL for power-play goals and ranks second in the NHL for power-play scoring