Lightning at Predators preview
Turris expected back in Nashville lineup; Killorn game-time decision for Tampa Bay
by Robby Stanley / NHL.com Independent Correspondent
LIGHTNING (12-9-3) at PREDATORS (12-10-4)
8 p.m. ET; NBCSN, SNE, SNO, SNW, NHL.TV
The Game
Kyle Turris is expected to return to the lineup for the Nashville Predators when they host the Tampa Bay Lightning at Bridgestone Arena on Tuesday.
The center, a healthy scratch for the past seven games, skated on a line with forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Mikael Granlund in practice Monday for the Predators, 3-1-1 in their past five games after a six-game winless streak (0-5-1).
Alex Killorn will be a game-time decision for the Lightning, coach Jon Cooper said. The forward, who missed a 3-2 loss to the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday because of a lower-body injury, participated in the morning skate.
The Lightning are 0-2-1 in their past three games and are 3-4-1 in their past eight.
Players to watch
Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov has 10 points (three goals, seven assists) in a five-game point streak.
Jarnkrok has five points (three goals, two assists) in his past six games.
They said it
"The one thing is, because of injury, he missed all of training camp, and I just don't think you can make that up in the first couple games of the year. It takes you a little bit to get going. You'd have to say maybe his first 10 to 12 games was his training camp. Now he's coming into his own, and it's a good thing for us." -- Lightning coach Jon Cooper on center Brayden Point
"We've got a lot of good players inside of our organization. Any time you have more than 20 players here, there has to be a decision made in the lineup and that is based on your opponent, position, makeup of a player. And we're fortunate. We've got a lot of good players and sometime these decisions are tough." -- Predators coach Peter Laviolette on why Kyle Turris has been a healthy scratch for seven consecutive games
Lightning projected lineup
Ondrej Palat -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn -- Anthony Cirelli -- Steven Stamkos
Tyler Johnson -- Mathieu Joseph -- Carter Verhaeghe
Pat Maroon -- Cedric Paquette -- Yanni Gourde
Victor Hedman -- Kevin Shattenkirk
Ryan McDonagh -- Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev -- Luke Schenn
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Curtis McElhinney
Scratched: Jan Rutta, Cory Conacher
Injured: Braydon Coburn (lower body)
Predators projected lineup
Filip Forsberg -- Ryan Johansen -- Matt Duchene
Calle Jarnkrok -- Kyle Turris -- Mikael Granlund
Rocco Grimaldi -- Nick Bonino -- Craig Smith
Austin Watson -- Colton Sissons -- Mathieu Olivier
Roman Josi -- Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm -- Dante Fabbro
Dan Hamhuis -- Matt Irwin
Pekka Rinne
Juuse Saros
Scratched: Daniel Carr, Yannick Weber
Injured: Viktor Arvidsson (lower body)
Status report
The Lightning recalled Conacher, a center, from Syracuse of the American Hockey League on Tuesday. … The Predators held an optional morning skate.
Stat pack
Vasilevskiy is 0-3-1 with a 3.29 goals-against average and .854 save percentage in five games against Nashville. … Point has eight points (six goals, two assists) in his past six games. … Turris has 28 points (12 goals, 16 assists) in 30 games against Tampa Bay.