Lightning at Penguins: Projected lines; injuries

The Lightning travel to Pittsburgh on Friday night at 7 for the first half of a road back-to-back.

PROJECTED LINES
Lines are from Wednesday's game against the Hurricanes. Friday's Morning Skate in Pittsburgh was optional. Subject to change.
Forwards
Ondrej Palat - Tyler Johnson - Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn - Brayden Point - Jonathan Drouin
Greg McKegg - Vladislav Namestnikov - Adam Erne
Gabriel Dumont - Cedric Paquette - J.T. Brown
Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Jake Dotchin
Jason Garrison - Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn - Andrej Sustr
Goaltender
Peter Budaj expected to start
FRIDAY'S MATCHUP
The Lightning and the Penguins are playing their final of three meetings and second of two meetings at PPG Paints Arena...The Bolts dropped a 6-2 decision to the Pens in their last matchup in Pittsburgh on Jan. 8, the fourth consecutive loss for the Lightning, matching a season high for consecutive losses (also: Nov. 25 - Dec. 1)...Jonathan Drouin scored a goal and Vladislav Namestnikov connected on the power play for Tampa Bay in the loss...The Lightning ended a nine-game regular season losing streak in Pittsburgh last season when they scored a 4-2 victory, former Bolts Matt Carle (goal, assist) and Jonathan Marchessault (2 assists) tallying multi-point games and Ben Bishop stopping 37-of-39 shots...Tampa Bay has lost 10 of its last 11 regular season games in Pittsburgh, going 1-9-1 over that stretch...The Lightning are 13-25-3 with three ties all-time in the regular season in Pittsburgh...The Bolts are 36-44-3 with five ties all-time overall in the regular season versus Pittsburgh.
LIGHTNING-PENGUINS STORYLINES
Tonight's game is the third of five-straight games against Eastern Conference opponents for Tampa Bay...The Lightning swept three regular season games from the Penguins in 2015-16 but are trying to avoid their first three-game regular season sweep at the hands of the Pens since 2013-14 (0-2-1).
INJURIES
2016-17 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 188
Ryan Callahan - Follow up surgical procedure on right hip (OUT INDEFINITELY; INJURED JAN. 7) 21 Games
Steven Stamkos - Lateral meniscus tear in right knee (OUT APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS; INJURED NOV. 15) 45 Games
TRANSACTIONS
March 1 - Acquired a 4th round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft from the Pittsburgh Penguins in exchange for D Mark Streit
March 1 - Acquired D Mark Streit from the Philadelphia Flyers in exchange for F Valtteri Filppula, a 4th round pick and a 7th round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft
Feb. 28 - Re-assigned F Yanni Gourde to AHL Syracuse
Feb. 27 - Acquired F Byron Froese and a conditional 2nd round pick in the 2017 NHL Draft from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for F Brian Boyle
Feb. 27 - Claimed F Greg McKegg off waivers from the Florida Panthers
Feb. 27 - Recalled F Yanni Gourde from AHL Syracuse
Feb. 27 - Recalled F Adam Erne from AHL Syracuse
Feb. 26 - Acquired G Peter Budaj, D Erik Cernak, a 7th round pick and a conditional pick in the 2017 NHL Draft from the Los Angeles Kings in exchange for G Ben Bishop and a 5th round pick in 2017 Draft
Feb. 25 - Acquired RW Stefan Fournier from the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for RW Jeremy Morin
POWER UP
The Lightning scored their league-leading 49th power-play goal March 1 vs. CAR when Victor Hedman netted the first of his two goals at 7:58 of the first period...Dating back two games prior to a 3-2 loss vs. CGY on Feb. 23, the Bolts scored on five-consecutive power plays...Per the Elias Sports Bureau, the five-consecutive power-play goals for the Lightning tied a franchise record for consecutive power-play goals set once prior when they scored five in a row on March 19, 1995 at BUF...Tampa Bay ranks second in the NHL for power-play success rate at 22.8% (first: Toronto - 23%)...The Bolts ranks second in the league for power-play opportunities with 215 (first: Dallas -220).
IN THE NIK OF TIME
Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov netted a goal and added two assists March 1 vs. CAR...Kucherov's three-point night was his third multi-point game in his last four games...Kucherov has recorded 12 points (6 goals, 6 assists) over his last four games...Kucherov has scored a goal in four-straight games to set a new Lightning season high for consecutive games with a goal...Kucherov trails Chris Gratton by three goals for eighth place among the Bolts' all-time goal scorers. Kucherov has scored in seven-straight games at AMALIE Arena, recording eight goals and nine assists over that stretch...Kucherov paces the Lightning for scoring (27-34--61) and goals...Kucherov ranks tied for ninth in the NHL for scoring and goals...Kucherov ranks tied for fourth in the league for power-play goals (11)...Kucherov leads the Lightning for plus-minus (+11), and since the start of the 2014-15 season, Kucherov is +59, ranking tied for third in the NHL for plus-minus over that span.