PROJECTED LIGHTNING LINES
Forwards
Vladislav Namestnikov -
Steven Stamkos
-
Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat
-
Tyler Johnson
-
Jonathan Drouin
Alex Killorn - Valtteri Filppula -
Brayden Point
Cedric Paquette
-
Brian Boyle
-
JT Brown
Defense
Victor Hedman
-
Anton Stralman
Jason Garrison
-
Andrej Sustr
Braydon Coburn
,
Nikita Nesterov
and Matt Taormina mixing in.
Goalie
Ben Bishop expected to start tonight vs. Montreal
LIGHTNING-CANADIENS MATCHUP
The Lightning are playing the third game of a six-game road trip (tied for longest road trip of the season)...Thursday is the first of four meetings between Tampa Bay and Montreal this season ...The Lightning lost all four meetings against the Canadiens last season and gained just one point in going 0-3-1.
TONIGHT'S STORYLINES
The Lightning have scored 11 combined goals over the last two games and have 23 on the season, tied for fifth most in the NHL...The Bolts are averaging 3.83 goals per game, tied with Montreal and Edmonton for tops in the league...The Bolts plus-7 goal differential is tied for second best in the NHL...Tampa Bay is one of just four league teams with double-digit point totals following Tuesday's slate of games (Montreal leads with 11; Tampa Bay, Detroit and Edmonton all have 10)...The Lightning are tied with Edmonton for the second-best win percentage in the league (.833) behind only Montreal (.917)...Including tonight's game in Montreal, 10 of the Bolts' next 14 games come on the road.
INJURIES
2016-17 Regular Season Games Lost: 6
Ryan Callahan - Hip surgery June 21 to repair labral tear in right hip (OUT 5 MONTHS FROM SURGERY DATE) 6
TRANSACTIONS
Oct. 19 - Recalled D Matt Taormina from AHL Syracuse
Oct. 19 - Reassigned D Slater Koekkoek to AHL Syracuse
STAMMER TIME
Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored two goals and added two assists Oct. 25 at TOR...Stamkos' 4-point night matched his career-high set seven times previously (last: Oct. 24, 2013 vs. CHI, 2 goals and 2 assists)...Stamkos' recorded his first multi-point game of the season and 164th of his career...Stamkos recorded his first multi-goal game of the season and 57th of his career.
