Lightning vs. Hurricanes: Projected lines, injuries and storylines

[HockeyLady]

The Bolts enjoy a break from a travel-heavy January, as they begin a three-game homestand Tuesday against the Hurricanes. Tampa Bay has dominated Carolina in recent history, winning 15 of their last 18 games, including six straight on home ice. 

The Hurricanes have struggled recently, winning only once in their last four games. Carolina comes in after a tough 7-1 loss to the Bruins on Saturday. 

Lines from Sunday's game. Subject to change. 

Forwards
Chris Kunitz - Steven Stamkos - Nikita Kucherov

Ondrej Palat - Brayden Point - Tyler Johnson

Alex Killorn - Vladislav Namestnikov - Yanni Gourde

J.T. Brown - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan

Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Anton Stralman

Mikhail Sergachev - Dan Girardi

Braydon Coburn - Andrej Sustr

Slater Koekkoek - Jake Dotchin

Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to start

Tuesday's Matchup
The Lightning and the Hurricanes are playing their second of three meetings this season and the only meeting at AMALIE Arena...Tampa Bay earned a 5-1 victory at Carolina in their previous matchup this season on Oct. 24, Mikhail Sergachev netting the game-winning goal at 9:13 of the second period and Tyler Johnson (goal, assist) and Steven Stamkos (2 assists) each registering multi-point games...The Lightning have won six in a row at home over Carolina, five of the six victories decided by one goal and three of the six needing overtime to determine a winner...Tampa Bay is 15-2-1 in its last 18 games versus Carolina...Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has never lost in four career starts vs. CAR, going 4-0-0 and allowing just eight total goals...Ondrej Palat is on a threegame assist streak (4 assists total) vs. CAR...Ryan Callahan has scored four goals in his last four games vs. CAR...Braydon Coburn has more career goals vs. CAR (5) than he does against any other NHL team...Victor Hedman has points (2-3--5) in three-straight games vs. CAR...Nikita Kucherov is on a three-game scoring streak vs. CAR (2-4--6).

Tuesday's Storylines
The Lightning are playing the first of just three games at AMALIE Arena in January...Tampa Bay continues to pace the NHL for wins (30), points (63), ROW (28), points percentage (.750), goals (153) and goal differential (+52)...The Lightning are off to their best start in franchise history with 63 points through 42 games, seven points better than the 56 points put up by the 2014-15 team (26-12-4) through 42 games...Tampa Bay established a franchise record for fewest games to record 30 wins in a season (42 games), eclipsing the mark of 48 games set in 2014-15...The Bolts rank first in the NHL for goals per game (3.64) and second for goals against per game (2.40) and are the only NHL team in the top five in both categories...Tampa Bay is tied with Winnipeg for the second-best home points percentage (.825) in the NHL (first: Vegas - .881)...On Sunday, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper was announced as coach of the
Atlantic Division for the 2018 NHL All-Star Weekend in Tampa.

Injuries
2017-18 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 50
Current injuries
Peter Budaj - Lower body (out indefinitely) 5 Games

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

In the Nik of Time
Tampa Bay right winger Nikita Kucherov scored his 27th goal of the season Jan. 7 at DET, giving him points in 13 of his last 14 games (8-11--19)...Kucherov has scored at least one goal in 24 of 42 games this season...Kucherov pulled into a tie for the NHL goal lead with his goal on Sunday.

Kucherov leads the NHL with 24 even strength goals; he scored 23 even strength goals all of last season...Kucherov's 59 points are the second most through the first 42 games of a season in Lightning history, trailing only Vincent Lecavalier's 28-34--62 through the first 42 games to start 2007-08...Kucherov continues to pace the NHL for scoring by a wide margin.

Kucherov ranks tied for fourth in the NHL for power-play points and tied for third for power-play assists...Over the last two seasons, Kucherov leads the NHL for goals with 67 (second: WSH's Alex Ovechkin - 60) and ranks second for scoring with 144 points (first: EDM's Connor McDavid - 147).

Good Gourde
Lightning center Yanni Gourde scored a pair of goals and added an assist Jan. 7 at DET to match a career high for single-game scoring set previously Dec. 16 vs. COL (1-2--3)...Gourde recorded the fourth multi-goal game of his career on Sunday...Gourde has scored a goal in consecutive games and has points in four of his last five games (2-2--4)...On Sunday, Gourde became the seventh Lightning player to reach the 30-point mark this season; no other NHL team has more than five players with 30 or more points.

[OccamsRazor]

On 1/9/2018 at 1:50 PM, HockeyLady said:

Tyler Johnson

 

Just WOW!

 

 

[TropicalFruitGirl26]

Rumors of Tyler Johnson's demise were greatly exaggerated apparently.

 

And not just talking about the Carolina game.... he is having himself a resurgent year.

 

16G, 18A in 40 games with a +11 rating, playing on the 2nd line and still is at least a 50% win face off guy.

[OccamsRazor]

15 hours ago, TropicalFruitGirl26 said:

Rumors of Tyler Johnson's demise were greatly exaggerated apparently.

 

And not just talking about the Carolina game.... he is having himself a resurgent year.

 

16G, 18A in 40 games with a +11 rating, playing on the 2nd line and still is at least a 50% win face off guy.

 

 

Exactly please don't anyone ever tell me someone 5-8 180 can't play in this league.

 

Please word it as such: Soft guys with little to no heart can't play in this league.