Lightning vs. Blackhawks: Projected lineups; injuries

The Lightning, coming down the home stretch in the race for a playoff spot, host the Chicago Blackhawks in a rematch of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final.

PROJECTED LINES
Lines are from Monday's morning skate, and subject to change.
Forwards
Ondrej Palat -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn -- Vladislav Namestnikov -- Jonathan Drouin
JT Brown -- Gabriel Dumont -- Greg McKegg
Joel Vermin -- Yanni Gourde -- Adam Erne
Defensemen
Victor Hedman -- Jake Dotchin
Luke Witkowski -- Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn -- Andrej Sustr
Goaltender
Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to start

MONDAY'S MATCHUP

The Lightning and the Blackhawks are playing the final game of their two-game regular season series...Tampa Bay defeated Chicago 5-2 in the teams' prior meeting this season on Jan. 24 at the United Center, the Lightning scoring four goals in the third period to overcome a 2-1 going into the final period...Tyler Johnson scored a pair of goals 30 seconds apart, including the game-winner at 6:14 of the third period, in the Lightning win...The four goals scored by the Bolts in the third period are tied for a season high for goals in a single period...The Lightning have won five in a row at AMALIE Arena over Chicago and haven't lost at home to the Blackhawks in the regular season since Feb. 17, 2009 (a 5-3 defeat)...The Bolts are 10-4-1 with three ties all-time at home in the regular season versus Chicago...Tampa Bay has earned at least a point from its last 10 regular season meetings against Chicago, going (8-0-2) over that stretch, and hasn't lost in regulation to the Blackhawks since Dec. 13, 2009 (4-0 at Chicago)...The Lightning are 17-14-3 with five ties all-time overall in the regular season versus the Blackhawks.

LIGHTNING-BLACKHAWKS STORYLINES

Tampa Bay has lost three in a row at home in regulation, its longest such streak of the season and longest since dropping three in a row at home in regulation from Oct. 29-Nov. 10, 2015...The Lightning enter tonight's game three points behind Boston but with a game in hand for the final wild card in the Eastern Conference and four points behind Toronto for third place in the Atlantic Division...Since Feb. 4, the Lightning are 14-5-3 and own the fourth-best point percentage in the NHL over that stretch at .705, trailing just Chicago (.795), Calgary (.738) and Pittsburgh (.708)...Bolts forward Ondrej Palat will play in his 300th career NHL game tonight provided he's in the lineup as expected.

INJURIES

2016-17 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 233
Ryan Callahan - Follow up surgical procedure on right hip (OUT INDEFINITELY; INJURED JAN. 7) 33 Games
Jason Garrison - Lower-body injury (DAY-TO-DAY; INJURED MARCH 24) 1 Game
Tyler Johnson - Lower-body injury (DAY-TO-DAY; INJURED MARCH 9) 8 Games
Cedric Paquette - Lower-body injury (DAY-TO-DAY; INJURED MARCH 9) 8 Games
Steven Stamkos - Lateral meniscus tear in right knee (OUT APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS; INJURED NOV. 15) 57 Games

TRANSACTIONS

March 24 - Re-assigned D Slater Koekkoek to AHL Syracuse
March 24 - Recalled D Slater Koekkeok from AHL Syracuse
March 20 - Recalled F Joel Vermin from AHL Syracuse
March 19 - Re-assigned F Joel Vermin to AHL Syracuse
March 19 - Re-assigned F Byron Froese to AHL Syracuse

IN NIK OF TIME

Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov scored the game-winning overtime goal and added an assist March 24 at DET, ensuring he will be the Lightning's all-time regular season scoring leader at Joe Louis Arena as he collected 7 points (4g, 3a) in eight career games at the Joe, one point better than Steven Stamkos (5g, 1a in 9 games) and Brian Bradley (2g, 4a in 6 games)...Kucherov has scored a goal in four-consecutive games and has seven goals and two assists over his last four games...Kucherov has tallied 17 goals and 12 assists over his last 16 games...With his goal in Detroit, Kucherov moved into sole possession of second place among NHL goal leaders.