Nuts & Bolts: Lightning in need of a bounce back performance in Game 2

MONDAY'S MATCHUP
The Lightning and Stars are playing Game 2 of a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final tonight...Tampa Bay and Dallas had never met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs until Saturday's Game 1...Both franchises are in search of their second Stanley Cup championship...The Lightning have yet to defeat the Stars in 2019-20 (reg. season and playoffs), going 0-1-2, losing both regular season matchups in overtime...Tampa Bay has limited Dallas to 20 shots in two of three meetings this season and owns a 109-75 combined advantage in shots over all three meetings...The Lightning have given up the opening goal in six-straight playoff contests, including Saturday's Game 1...The Bolts have allowed the opening goal in 10 of 20 playoff contests, going 9-1 when scoring first and 5-5 when trailing first...Nikita Kucherov (0-3--3 pts.) leads the Lightning for scoring against Dallas in 2019-20...Steven Stamkos paces the Bolts for goals (2) versus Dallas in 2019-20...Andrei Vasilevskiy has started all three meetings against Dallas in 2019-20 and allowed 10 goals on 74 shots...Tampa Bay is 16-21-5 with 3 ties all-time versus Dallas in 45 all-time matchups (reg. season and playoffs)...Under Jon Cooper, the Lightning are 8-4-3 against Dallas.

MONDAY'S STORYLINES
Tampa Bay claimed the Prince of Wales Trophy as Eastern Conference playoff champions and advanced to the Stanley Cup Final for the third time in franchise history and first since 2015 (also: 2004)...The Lightning are aiming to win the second Stanley Cup in franchise history (also: 2004)...Tampa Bay is the first of the 10 NHL franchises to debut in the 90s or later to reach the Stanley Cup Final three times (Anaheim is the only other team to make multiple appearances, in 2003 and 2007)...The Bolts can become the first of the 10 franchises that debuted in the 90s or later to win multiple Stanley Cup Championships...The Lightning are 17-10 all-time in Game 2s, including a 10-5 record under head coach Jon Cooper...The Bolts are 11-5 in Game 2s following a Game 1 loss, including a 3-0 record in Stanley Cup Finals...Tampa Bay has never lost a Game 2 in a Stanley Cup Final, going 3-0...The Lightning have yet to lose back-to-back games in the 2020 Playoffs, going 5-0 (only other postseason TBL didn't lose back-to-back games was 2004 when the franchise claimed its first-ever Stanley Cup, going 7-0 in games after a loss)...Tampa Bay has gone three-straight games without holding a lead and hasn't been up in a game since Game 4 of ECF at NYI when Ondrej Palat scored at 11:54 of the 2nd period to put TBL up 2-1, a lead that would hold up in a 4-1 win.
OH MY GOURDE
Yanni Gourde scored Tampa Bay's lone goal in the loss Game 1 vs. DAL for his sixth goal of the playoffs and first since Game 1 of the ECF...Gourde has scored four of his six goals this postseason in Game 1s... Gourde became one of five Lightning players to post six or more goals this postseason; no other playoff team has more than four players with six or more goals (COL, DAL and NYI each have 4)...Gourde has nine career playoff goals in 41 games and will become the 13th different TBL player all-time to score 10 or more career playoff goals with his next goal.
GNARLS BARCLAY
Lightning forward Barclay Goodrow tallied an assist Game 1 vs. DAL to give him an assist in back-to-back games, his first career playoff assist and point streak...Goodrow dished out 12 hits Saturday to set a career high for hits in a game, regular season or playoffs (previous high: 8 hits recorded multiple times, last: 2/1/20 vs. TBL while w/ SJS).
IN THE NIK OF TIME
Bolts right wing Nikita Kucherov did not record a point in Game 1 vs. DAL, just the sixth game this postseason he hasn't gotten on the scoresheet...Kucherov has set Lightning playoff records this postseason for most assists in a playoff series (8 in ECF vs. NYI) and playoff season (20 in 20 GP) and tied his own mark for most points in a playoff series (2-8--10 pts. in ECF) set previously in 2018 1st Rd. vs. NJD (5-5--10 pts. in 5 GP)...Kucherov has recorded 26 points in 20 games this postseason to pull into a tie with Brad Richards for most in a playoff season in Lightning history.
MOST POINTS IN A PLAYOFF SEASON IN TBL HISTORY
T-1. Nikita Kucherov (2020) - 6-20--26 pts. in 20 GP
T-1. Brad Richards (2004) - 12-14--26 pts. in 23 GP
3. Brayden Point (2020) - 9-16--25 pts. in 18 GP
4. Tyler Johnson (2015) - 13-10--23 pts. in 26 GP
Kucherov paces the NHL for scoring in the 2020 Playoffs.
NHL 2020 PLAYOFF SCORING LEADERS
1. Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 6-20--26 pts. in 20 GP
T-2. Nathan MacKinnon (COL) - 9-16--25 pts. in 15 GP
T-2. Brayden Point (TBL) - 9-16--25 pts. in 18 GP
4. Miro Heiskanen (DAL) - 5-18--23 pts. in 22 GP
Kucherov's 20 assists this postseason are tied for the 22nd most among all skaters in a playoff season in NHL history (most: Wayne Gretzky - 31 assists in 1988)...Kucherov's 20 assists are tied for the third most by a primary winger in a single postseason in NHL history.
MOST ASSISTS BY A WINGER IN A PLAYOFF SEASON IN NHL HISTORY
1. Mark Recchi (PIT) - 24 assists in 1991 (24 GP)
2. Rick Middleton (BOS) - 22 assists in 1983 (17 GP)
3. Nikita Kucherov (TBL) - 20 assists in 2020 (20 GP)
4. Brian Bellows (MNS) - 19 assists in 1991 (23 GP)
HED OF THE CLASS
Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman was held without a goal or point Game 1 vs. DAL, just the third time in the last nine games he's been held without a goal...A Norris Trophy finalist for a fourth-consecutive season, Hedman led all players from both conferences for goals (4) in the Conference Final round, and his nine goals total in the 2020 Playoffs are tied for the second most overall in the NHL this postseason and most among League defensemen.
NHL 2020 PLAYOFF D-MAN GOAL LEADERS
1. Victor Hedman (TBL) - 9 goals (20 GP)
2. Shea Theodore (VGK) - 7 goals (20 GP)
T-3. Miro Heiskanen (DAL) - 5 goals (22 GP)
T-3. Jamie Oleksiak (DAL) - 5 goals (22 GP)
Hedman has set TBL franchise records for defenseman goals in a playoff season and goals in a playoff series (4 in ECF) in 2020...Hedman's nine goals this postseason are tied for the third most by a defenseman in a playoff season in NHL history and the most since Brian Leetch notched 11 goals for the NY Rangers in 1994.
MOST GOALS BY A NHL D-MAN IN A PLAYOFF SEASON
1. Paul Coffey (EDM) - 12 goals (1985)
2. Brian Leetch (NYR) - 11 goals (1994)
T-3. Victor Hedman (TBL) - 9 goals (2020)
T-3. Brad Park (BOS) - 9 goals (1978)
T-3. Bobby Orr (BOS) - 9 goals (1970)
T-6. 4 defensemen tied with 8 goals
POINTING THE WAY
Lightning center Brayden Point was held without a point for just the fourth time in 18 games this postseason in Game 1 vs. DAL and has gone back-to back games without a point for the first time this postseason...Point has recorded 25 points this postseason, tied for the second most in the NHL in the 2020 Playoffs and the third most in a playoff season all-time in Lightning history...Point has scored a team-high nine goals this postseason, tied for the seventh most in a playoff season in Lightning history (most: Tyler Johnson - 13 goals in 2015).
VASY FOR VEZINA
Bolts goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 16-of-19 shots in a loss Game 1 vs. DAL, the second-fewest shots he's faced in a playoff start this postseason (fewest: 17 in Game 3 1st Rd. win vs. CBJ) and tied for the second fewest for his playoff career (also: 19 shots faced in Game 4 loss of 2015 SCF at CHI in first career SCF start)...The reigning Vezina Trophy winer and 2020 finalist has 14 wins this postseason, the second most in a playoff season in TBL history.
TBL MOST GOALIE WINS IN A SINGLE PLAYOFFS ALL-TIME
1. Nikolai Khabibulin (2004) - 16 wins (23 GS)
2. Andrei Vasilevskiy (2020) - 14 wins (20 GS)
3. Ben Bishop (2015) - 13 wins (25 GS)
Vasilevskiy allowed more than two goals for just the second time in his last 10 starts on Saturday...Vasilevskiy has allowed two or fewer goals in 13 of 20 starts overall in the 2020 Playoffs.
THE ROAD AHEAD
Game 3 - Wednesday, September 23 - 8 p.m.
Game 4 - Friday September 25 - 8 p.m.
Game 5* - Saturday, September 26 - 8 p.m.
Game 6* - Monday, September 28 - 8 p.m.
Game 7* - Wednesday, September 30 - 8 p.m.
\If necessary
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