Lines from Tuesday's practice. Subject to change.
Forwards
Vladislav Namestnikov - Steven Stamkos - Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat - Brayden Point - Yanni Gourde
Chris Kunitz - Tyler Johnson - Ryan Callahan
Alex Killorn - Gabriel Dumont - JT Brown
Defense
Victor Hedman - Jake Dotchin
Mikhail Sergachev - Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn - Dan Girardi
Slater Koekkoek -
Goalies
Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to start
WEDNESDAY'S MATCHUP
The Lightning and the Sharks are playing their first of two meetings this season and the only meeting in San Jose...Tampa Bay lost both matchups to the Sharks in 2016-17, San Jose earning a 2-1 home victory in their last matchup Jan. 19 after earlier defeating the Bolts 3-1 on Nov. 12 at AMALIE Arena...Last season's loss ended a two-game win streak for the Lightning in San Jose...The Bolts are 8-9-0 with one tie all-time in San Jose...Steven Stamkos has scored eight goals (plus 5 assists) in 11 career meetings vs. San Jose... Ryan Callahan has seven goals (plus 3 assists) in 11 career matchups against the Sharks...Tampa Bay is 17-19-0 with two ties all-time overall vs. San Jose.
WEDNESDAY'S STORYLINES
Tampa Bay leads the NHL for points (24) and points percentage (.800)...The Lightning are tied with St. Louis for most wins in the League (11) and Los Angeles for best goal differential (+17)...Tampa Bay's 11-2-2 record and 24 points through 15 games are the best in franchise history, one point better than the 23 achieved by the 2003-04 team (10-2-2-1) and 2014-15 team (11-3-1), both of which went on to play in the Stanley Cup Final...The Lightning record for most points through 16 games is 25 by the 2003-04 team...Since Feb. 4, 2017, the Lightning are 31-8-6 and own the most points (68) in the NHL over that period (second: STL - 67) and second-most wins (first: STL - 32)...Chris Kunitz will play in his 900th career NHL game (16th with the Lightning) tonight provided he's in the lineup... Jake Dotchin will play career game No. 50 (all with the Lightning) tonight provided he's in the lineup...Jon Cooper can record his 200th career NHL win with one more win.
INJURIES
2017-18 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 9
Current injuries:
Cedric Paquette - Upper body (DAY-TO-DAY) 8 Games
TRANSACTIONS
Oct. 9 -- Assigned F Michael Bournival to AHL Syracuse
STAMMER TIME
Lightning captain Steven Stamkos netted a power-play goal and scored the shootout game-winner Nov. 4 vs. CBJ to add to his NHL scoring lead.
Stamkos has recorded points in 13 of 15 games and has eight multi-point performances in 2017-18...Stamkos' 25 points are the second most he's put up through 15 games in his career (first: 14-12--26 through 15 games in 2010-11)...Stamkos owns a share of the longest point streak in the NHL this season (4-17--21 over 11 games from Oct. 6-26) along with teammate Nikita Kucherov...Stamkos has tallied at least one assist in 10 of 15 games this season and paces the League for assists.
Stamkos is tied for the NHL lead for power-play goals and paces the League for power-play points.
Since entering the NHL in 2008-09, Stamkos ranks second for total goals with 328 (first: WSH's Alex Ovechkin - 407).
NIFTY NIKITA
Tampa Bay right wing Nikita Kucherov scored a goal and added an assist Nov. 4 vs. CBJ to give him points in 13 of 15 games and nine multi-point performances in 2017-18...Kucherov leads the NHL for goals.
Steven Stamkos has assisted on 10 of Kucherov's 14 markers, the most assists by one teammate to another in the NHL this season...Kucherov ranks second in the League for scoring and owns a share of the longest point streak in the NHL this season (12-7--19 over 11 games from Oct. 6-26) along with teammate Steven Stamkos...Kucherov owns the longest goal streak this season in the NHL, scoring in seven-straight games (5 goals total) from Oct. 6-17 (no other NHL player has more than a four-game goal streak)...Over the past two seasons, Kucherov leads the NHL for goals (54) and ranks second for scoring with 108 points (first: EDM's Connor McDavid - 116)...Kucherov (257 career points) is two points away from tying Chris Gratton (259) for ninth on the Bolts' all-time scoring list.
