Lightning look to finish trip on positive note

Tuesday, 01.07.2014 / 1:54 PM | Patrick Williams - NHL.com Correspondent

WINNIPEG -- The Tampa Bay Lightning wrap a four-game trip through Western Canada when they meet the Winnipeg Jets at MTS Centre, but they will do so without goaltender Ben Bishop.

The Lightning are 7-2-1 in their past 10 games, a span that has seen them allow 20 goals. Five of those goals-against came in a 5-3 loss against the Edmonton Oilers on Sunday.

Bishop, who exited the game at Edmonton with a right hand injury, will not dress for the Lightning against Winnipeg. His status for the Lightning remains undetermined and coach Jon Cooper indicated he will know more about Bishop's status when the Lightning return home.

The Lightning recalled goaltender Cedrick Desjardins from the Syracuse Crunch of the American Hockey League to back up Anders Lindback.

Center Steven Stamkos (right tibia) and defenseman Keith Aulie (hand) remain on injured reserve for the Lightning. Stamkos participated with his teammates in the Lightning's optional morning skate, but Cooper said that Stamkos' return to the Lightning lineup is not imminent.

The Jets have struggled since ending 2013 with a three-game win streak. They lost all three of their games on an Eastern Conference road trip that started the new year, allowing 14 goals. Jets coach Claude Noel continues to attempt to shape his team, which enters play Tuesday 22nd in the League with an average of 2.91 goals-against per game, into a more defensively responsible group.

"I'd like to be consistent, obviously," Noel said when asked what he hoped to see against Tampa Bay. "We've talked about that enough. I'd just like a good, solid 60-minute effort. That's what I'd really like."

Lindback will start for the Lightning and oppose Jets goaltender Ondrej Pavelec.

Here are the probable lineups for the Lightning and Jets:

LIGHTNING

Ondrej Palat - Tyler Johnson - Martin St. Louis

Alex Killorn - Valtteri Filppula - Teddy Purcell

B.J. Crombeen - Nate Thompson - Nikita Kucherov

Ryan Malone - Richard Panik

Victor Hedman - Mark Barberio

Matthew Carle - Radko Gudas

Eric Brewer - Sami Salo

Jean-Philippe Cote

Anders Lindback