PROJECTED LINES
Lines are from Friday's practice in Tampa, and subject to change.
Jonathan Drouin did not participate in morning skate due to illness and recently recalled forward Cory Conacher did not participate in morning skate. Tyler Johnson did participate in Saturday's morning skate.
Forwards
Vladislav Namestnikov - Tyler Johnson - Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn - Brayden Point - Jonathan Drouin
Ondrej Palat - Valtteri Filppula - Brian Boyle
Gabriel Dumont - Cedric Paquette - JT Brown
Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Jake Dotchin
Jason Garrison - Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn - Andrej Sustr
Goaltender
Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to start
SATURDAY'S MATCHUP
The Lightning and the Stars are playing the first of two meetings this season...Dallas swept the two-game series from Tampa Bay last season, a year after the Lightning swept the Stars in 2014-15...In their last meeting at Dallas (March 17, 2016), the Lightning were unable to hold onto a 3-2 lead going into the third period, and the Stars' Jamie Benn netted the game-winning goal, his second goal of the game, at 11:50 of the third...The Bolts' Steven Stamkos netted a pair of goals in the loss...Prior to last season's loss, the Lightning had won three in a row in Dallas...The Bolts are 5-1-1 in their last seven trips to Dallas...Tampa Bay is 7-8-1 with one tie all-time on the road against the Stars...The Lightning are 11-20-2 with three ties all-time overall against Dallas.
LIGHTNING-STARS STORYLINES
The Lightning are playing the first half of a back-to-back set in Dallas and the third game in a stretch of four-straight games on the road...The Bolts have picked up at least a point in four-consecutive road games...The Lightning can set a season high for consecutive games with at least a point with a victory or overtime/shootout loss tonight...Tonight's game is the fifth in a stretch of eight-straight games against Western Conference opponents and the third in a stretch of four-consecutive games against Central Division foes for the Bolts... The Bolts have given up only five goals combined in their last four games, the least amount of goals they've given up over a four-game stretch this season...Brian Boyle will play in his 600th game tonight provided he's in the lineup.
INJURIES
2016-17 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 175
Ryan Callahan - Lower-body injury (INJURED JAN. 7; ANNOUNCED JAN. 15 EXPECTED TO MISS APPROXIMATELY 4 WEEKS) 15 Games
Tyler Johnson - Lower-body injury (DAY-TO-DAY; INJURED FEB. 7) 2 Games
Steven Stamkos - Lateral meniscus tear in right knee (OUT APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS; INJURED NOV. 15) 39 Games
TRANSACTIONS
Feb. 17 - Recalled F Gabriel Dumont from AHL Syracuse
Feb. 12 - Re-assigned F Gabriel Dumont to AHL Syracuse
Feb. 12 - Re-assigned F Erik Condra to AHL Syracuse
Feb. 9 - Recalled F Erik Condra from AHL Syracuse
Feb. 8 - Re-assigned F Joel Vermin to AHL Syracuse
Feb. 8 - Re-assigned F Michael Bournival to AHL Syracuse
Feb. 4 - Recalled F Joel Vermin from AHL Syracuse
BACK TO BACK
The Lightning have 16 sets of back-to-back games this season, their most back-to-back sets in a season since 16 were on the schedule in 2010-11 (most all-time back-to-back sets: 19 during 1997-98 and 1993-94 seasons)...Tonight, the Lightning are beginning the second set of two-consecutive back-to-backs, sandwiched around their bye week.
ON POINT
Lightning rookie forward Brayden Point notched a goal for the second-consecutive game and added an assist Feb. 11 at WPG for the fourth multi-point game of his career...The Lightning are 4-0-0 this season when Point records multiple points...Point has scored four goals in his last six games since returning from injury (missed 14 games from Dec. 29 to Jan. 26) after scoring three goals in his first 36 games of the season...Point ranks 20th among NHL rookies for scoring (7-13--20)...Point ranks tied for eighth among league rookies for power-play goals (7)...All 10 of Point's penalty minutes have come on the road.
