Red-hot Bolts looking to make history tonight in Colorado

The Tampa Bay Lightning can set a franchise record for consecutive wins when they start a three-game road trip tonight against the Colorado Avalanche at Pepsi Center.
The Lightning enter Denver having won 10 in a row, matching franchise-long win streaks set last February and again earlier this season. The Bolts are just the third team in NHL history to record two separate win streaks of 10 or more games in the same season and the second franchise to do so, joining the 1929-30 Boston Bruins and the 1970-71 Boston Bruins.
The Lightning, though, aren't focused on breaking a record tonight. Instead, they want to continue to build their game for what they hope is a long playoff run.

"We're aware we're winning right now, but I think it's about playing the right way," said Lightning center Brayden Point, who comes into Denver on a career-long 10-game point streak. "We've had stretches where we've been playing really good and other stretches where we've kind of struggled in our own end and our goalie's kind of kept us in it. So, it's nice we're winning, but it's about playing the right way."

Playing the right way for Tampa Bay involves limiting the number of quality chances for the opposition, possessing the puck in the offensive zone to minimize the time in its own zone and eliminating careless turnovers that lead to odd-man rushes. The Lightning have been incorporating all those elements into their game during their current run for the most part. Since the win streak started Jan. 29 in Los Angeles, the Bolts have allowed just 1.60 goals per game, second fewest in the NHL.
Tampa Bay has given up a League-low 1.71 goals a game since the start of 2020 and rank fourth overall this season for goals against at 2.64.
The Lightning, however, had to lean on the spectacular play of goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in the third period of Saturday's 5-3 win over the Philadelphia Flyers, the second time this season the Bolts have defeated the Flyers to reach 10-consecutive wins. The Lightning were up 4-1 at one point in the third period of that contest but gave up back-to-back goals in a 44-second span and needed a handful of highlight-reel saves from Vasilevskiy to remain in the lead.
Tampa Bay hopes to re-establish its defensive identity tonight at Colorado so bad habits don't start to creep back into its game.
"It's hard to be extremely hard on the guys right now just for how much they've been producing for us," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said. "The group's played well defensively. And in an 82-game season, are there going to be dips in your play, there are. We just haven't seen too many of late. That one stuck out. Everybody recognized that. We addressed that this morning. There are often times when things are going well for you, you like to take some things for granted and as a staff you don't want to let things slip. Our guys have been battling. We were playing a desperate team in the third period. You take your foot off the gas for a little bit, you're going to get burned. We nearly did."
The Lightning will be shorthanded in Denver. Braydon Coburn started morning skate but didn't finish it, coming off early before the rest of his teammates. Following the skate, Cooper said the veteran defenseman is day-to-day with a lower-body injury and wouldn't play tonight, meaning Cameron Gaunce will likely make his second appearance for the Lightning this season.

Injured blueliners Jan Rutta and Ryan McDonagh joined the team on the trip but aren't expected to play. Rutta, however, did skate on his own after the morning skate, a good sign for his progression as he continues to rehab a lower-body injury that's forced him to miss the last six games.
Curtis McElhinney will get the start in net tonight for the Lightning. McElhinney is on a two-game win streak, having given up just one combined goal over those two victories.
"Our team's played well and Vasilevskiy's been outstanding because he's played more games, you kind of overlook what Mac's done in there, and Mac's been exceptional for us," Cooper said. "He's a big part of this streak we've been on as well. There's a reason you've got two goalies, and I know Vasy is our starter but Mac, when he gets in, he gives us a chance to win every night. He's going to get games down the stretch here as well and just got to make sure they're both humming by April."