Tampa Bay Lightning forward Tyler Johnson is expected to return after missing two games with a lower-body injury. "Every skate changes a little bit, so we'll see how it feels tonight come game time and just go from there," Johnson said. Forward Jonathan Drouin will be a game-time decision after missing the morning skate because of illness. The Lightning recalled forward Cory Conacher from Syracuse of the American Hockey League, who will play if Drouin is unavailable. Tampa Bay is playing its first game after six days off. Teams have struggled this season in the first game back from the break, combining for a 3-9-2 record. "We can't use that as an excuse, especially where we are, we know we are chasing," said forward Brian Boyle , who will play in his 600th NHL game. The Lightning are six points out of the second wild card into the Stanley Cup Playoffs from the Eastern Conference. "We had a good practice yesterday, and I think that's important." Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy will start. Forward Nikita Kucherov is two points from 200 in his NHL career.
