Lightning at Devils: Projected lines, storylines

The Lightning play the second game of a back-to-back against the surprising Devils squad that has started the season 4-1-0. Tampa Bay won its first road game of the season last night in Detroit and Nikita Kucherov scored a goal for the sixth straight game to start the season.

Lines from Monday's game vs. Detroit. Subject to change
Forwards
Vladislav Namestnikov - Steven Stamkos - Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat - Brayden Point - Yanni Gourde
Chris Kunitz - Cedric Paquette- Ryan Callahan
Alex Killorn - Tyler Johnson -
Defense
Victor Hedman - Jake Dotchin
Mikhail Sergachev - Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn - Dan Girardi
Slater Koekkoek -
Goalie
Andrei Vasilevskiy or Peter Budaj expected to start
TUESDAYS MATCHUP
The Lightning and the Devils are playing their first of three meetings this season and first of two at the Prudential Center...The Bolts took two of three from New Jersey in 2016-17, each team winning on home ice...Tampa Bay outscored New Jersey 8-1 in the second and third periods of last year's three meetings combined...Tampa Bay has won six of its last seven matchups against New Jersey, the lone loss coming in its only visit to the Prudential Center last season (3-1 NJD, Oct. 29, 2016)...The Bolts have picked up wins in two of their last three visits to New Jersey...Steven Stamkos has recorded 16 goals and 28 points in 28 career games vs. New Jersey and has scored a goal in four straight games against the Devils...Nikita Kucherov is averaging over a point a game against New Jersey, tallying 3-8--11 in nine career games...The Lightning are 14-28-4 with two ties all-time in New Jersey...The Bolts are 32-48-7 with seven ties all-time overall against the Devils.
TUESDAY'S STORYLINES
The Lightning enter Tuesday's game in sole possession of first place in the Atlantic Division and are the first NHL team to reach five victories and 10 points...The Bolts have won four in a row for the first time since March 23-30, 2017 and are looking for their first fivegame win streak since winning nine in a row Feb. 18-March 5, 2016...Going back to last \ season, the Lightning are 13-2-1 in their last 16 games and 25-7-4 in their last 36...The Bolts have started 5-1-0 for the second season in a row...Tampa Bay is completing its second of 13 back-to-back sets in 2017-18...The Bolts had won seven-straight second halves of back-to-back sets entering this season (they went 8-4-4 overall in second halves of back-to-back sets in 2016-17) but dropped their first such game this season Oct. 7 at FLA.
INJURIES
2017-18 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 1
Current injuries: None
TRANSACTIONS
Oct. 2 -- Assigned F Cory Conacher to AHL Syracuse
Oct. 9 -- Assigned F Michael Bournival to AHL Syracuse
POWER UP
The Lightning have scored at least one power-play goal in all six games so far this season and are one game from tying the franchise record for consecutive games with a power-play goal to begin a season (7) set in 2002-03 and 2000-01...The Bolts' six-game powerplay goal streak is their longest since Jan. 22-Feb. 2, 2013 (Tampa Bay franchise record for consecutive games with a power-play goal is 10 from Nov. 27-Dec. 22, 2005)...Tampa Bay ranks T-2nd in the NHL for power-play goals (7) after pacing the league last season (62).
IN THE NIK OF TIME
Tampa Bay right wing Nikita Kucherov scored a power-play goal and the game-winning goal Oct. 16 at DET for his first multi-goal game of the season and 15th of his career...Kucherov has scored at least one goal in every game this season and is the fourth player in the NHL in the last 30 years to score a goal in six-straight games to open a season, joining Steve Yzerman (1988-89), Mario Lemieux (1992-93) and Keith Tkachuk (2008-09)...Only Lemieux has scored a goal in seven-straight games to open a season (scored in 12 straight to start 1992-93 season)...Kucherov's seven goals through the first six games of the season tied Vinny Prospal (2007-08) and Chris Kontos (1992-93) for the Lightning franchise record for most goals through the first six games of a season (Lightning record for most goals through first seven games of a season is eight set by Steven Stamkos in 2010-11)...Kucherov netted his third gamewinning goal of the season, ranking T-2nd in the NHL...Kucherov's power-play goal was the 32nd of his career, tying him with Freddy Modin for ninth place among the Bolts' all-time power-play goal scorers...Kucherov ranks second in the NHL for goals (7), trailing only WSH's Alex Ovechkin (9)...Kucherov ranks T-3rd in the NHL for scoring...Kucherov has tallied points in nine-straight games dating back to last season (9-5--14) and owns the longest active regular season scoring streak in the NHL.