Lightning and Predators: Projected lines, injuries and storylines

[HockeyLady]

The Lightning contnue their tough road trip with their third straight game against the Central divsion when they take on the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night in the Music City. Tampa Bay snapped a season-long three-game losing streak on Monday night in Chicago. 

Lines from Monday's game at Chicago. Subject to change. 

Forwards
Chris Kunitz - Steven Stamkos - Vladislav Namestnikov

Tyler Johnson - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov

Yanni Gourde - Matthew Peca - Alex Killorn

Michael Bournival - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan

Defensemen
Jake Dotchin - Anton Stralman

Mikhail Sergachev - Dan Girardi

Braydon Coburn - Andrej Sustr

Slater Koekkoek

Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy or Louis Domingue 

Tuesday's Matchup
The Lightning and the Predators are playing their first of two meetings this season and the only one at Bridgestone Arena...Tampa Bay was swept by Nashville last season, the Predators routing the Lightning 6-1 at AMALIE Arena on Jan. 5, 2017, tied for the Bolts' worst loss of the season, and winning 3-1 over the Bolts in Nashville on Nov. 21, 2016...The Lightning have lost six of their last seven matchups against the Predators...The Bolts haven't won in Nashville since a 2-1 overtime victory on Feb. 7, 2008, going 0-4-2 since...Tampa Bay is 5-6-2 all-time in Nashville..Lightning backup goaltender Louis Domingue has never lost in regulation to the
Predators in his career, going 2-0-1 with a 1.28 GAA, .961 save percentage, one shutout and just four total goals allowed...Tyler Johnson scored both Tampa Bay goals versus Nashville last season and has goals in three-straight games vs. the Preds...Chris Kunitz is putting up 0.96 points per game (24 pts in 25 games) for his career vs. NSH, his highest regular season ppg average against any NHL team...Steven Stamkos is on a two-game goal streak vs. NSH (did not play against the Preds last year due to injury).
 

Tuesday's Storylines
The Lightning are playing the third game of a stretch of eight-straight games away from AMALIE Arena, the longest such road stretch in the NHL this season...Tampa Bay is completing its eighth of 13 back-to-back sets in 2017-18 tonight...The Bolts are 2-4-1 this season in the second half of a back-to-back set...Tampa Bay is off to its best start in franchise history with 67 points through 47 games, five points better than the 62 points put up by the 2014-15 team (29-14-4) through 47 games...The Lightning moved back into first place in the NHL with Monday's win and pace the NHL for wins (32), points (67), ROW (30) and goal differential (+45)...The Bolts lead the NHL for goals per game (3.49) and rank third for goals against per game (2.53) and are the only team in the top four in both categories
 

Injuries
2017-18 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 61
Current injuries
Peter Budaj - Lower body (out indefinitely; injured Dec. 29) 10 Games
Victor Hedman - Lower body (out 3 to 6 weeks; injured Jan. 11) 3 Games
Ondrej Palat - Lower body (out 6-8 weeks; injured Jan. 20) 1 game 

Transactions
Jan 21 - Recalled forwards Matthew Peca and Michael Bournival from AHL Syracuse
Jan. 16 - Recalled G Louis Domingue from AHL Syracuse
Jan. 14 - F J.T. Brown claimed off waivers by Anaheim
Jan. 13 - Re-assigned G Louis Domingue to AHL Syracuse

Making a Point
Lightning center Brayden Point picked up an assist Jan. 22 at CHI for his 24th assist of the season...Point has picked up at least one point in four of his last five games, recording 3-4--7 over that stretch...Point has set career highs for goals (19) and scoring (43 points) this season after tallying 18 goals and 40 points in 68 games during his rookie season in 2016-17.
 

Oh my Gourde
Tampa Bay rookie forward Yanni Gourde netted his 15th goal of the season Jan. 22 at CHI to pull into a tie with Vladislav Namestnikov for fifth-most goals on the Bolts...Since Dec. 1, Gourde has netted nine goals and ranks fourth on the Lightning for goals over that stretch...Gourde ranks tied for third among NHL rookies for goals and tied for fourth for scoring