Projected Lineup (subject to change)
Forwards
Steven Stamkos - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
Brandon Hagel - Anthony Cirelli - Alex Killorn
Ross Colton - Nick Paul - Corey Perry
Pat Maroon - Michael Eyssimont - Corey Perry
Defensemen
Mikhail Sergachev - Nick Perbix
Ian Cole - Erik Cernak
Haydn Fleury - Zach Bogosian
Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Brian Elliott
Thursday's Matchup
The Lightning and the Golden Knights are playing the second of two matchups this season and the second of two meetings at AMALIE Arena…The Bolts are 0-1-0 vs. VGK this season after a 5-4 loss Feb. 18 at T-Mobile Arena…Vladislav Namestnikov opened the scoring with his sixth goal of the season when he redirected a pass from Corey Perry over the glove of Adin Hill to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead 6:10 into the first period…VGK responded with an immediate answer when Brett Howden tied the game 1-1 just seven seconds after Namestnikov opened the scoring…After Nicholas Roy took a hooking penalty at the 6:45 mark of the first, Victor Hedman sent a pass to Steven Stamkos, who hammered home his patented one-timer to give the Bolts a 2-1 lead with his 10th power-play goal of the season just 40 seconds after Howden tied the game for VGK…With Tampa Bay leading 2-1, VGK rattled off three straight goals to close out the first period with Jonathan Marchessault scoring at the 8:17 and 17:46 marks and Shea Theodore finding the back of the net with 5:40 remaining in the opening frame…Perry got the Lightning back within one when he made it a 4-3 game 4:29 into the second period, taking a pass from Hedman and beating Hill with a wrist shot to the glove side for his 11th goal of the season…Roy scored an empty-net goal for VGK with 1:09 remaining to make it a 5-3 game…Pierre-Edouard Bellemare redirected a point shot from Mikhail Sergachev to get the Bolts back within one at the 19:49 mark of the third, but that would be the final goal of the game in a 5-4 loss for Tampa Bay…Andrei Vasilevskiy got the start in goal for the Lightning and made 22 saves…Nikita Kucherov has recorded at least one assist in all seven of his career games vs. VGK (0-9-9)…Stamkos has picked up points in eight of his nine career games vs. VGK (6-5-11)…Brayden Pointhas scored a goal in three of his last five games vs. VGK (3-1-4)…Anthony Cirelli and Alex Killorn have picked up points in three of their last five contests vs. VGK (1-2-3)…The Bolts are 3-4-2 all-time vs. VGK, including a home record of 1-1-2…Stamkos (6-5-11) holds the Tampa Bay franchise records for career goals and points vs. VGK.
Thursday's Storylines
Tampa Bay is playing the second game of a four-game homestand tonight…The Bolts will play eight of their 16 games in March on home ice…The Lightning are 9-5-1 against Pacific Division opponents and 20-7-2 against the Western Conference this season…Tampa Bay is 23-5-4 on home ice this season…The Lightning have scored three or more goals in 12 of their last 13 home games (57 total goals)…Tampa Bay has scored a power-play goal in 12 of their last 13 home games.
Injuries
2022-23 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 99
Current Injuries:
Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (Day-to-day) 1 Game
Victor Hedman (Upper-body injury; Day-to-day) 1 Game
Tampa Bay Sports Item of the Game
Neon Headwear Collection
Check out the Lightning Neon Hat Collection, the latest drop from New Era. Exclusively avaialble in store at AMALIE Arena and online at TampaBaySports.com, while supplies last.
The Road Ahead
Saturday, March 11 vs. Chicago Blackhawks
Sunday, March 12 vs. Winnipeg Jets
Tuesday, March 14 at New Jersey Devils
