PROJECTED LINES
Lines from Thursday's morning skate session. Subject to change.
Forwards
Alex Killorn - Vladislav Namestnikov - Nikita Kucherov
Jonathan Drouin - Valtteri Filppula - Brayden Point
Ondrej Palat - Tyler Johnson - Joel Vermin
Brian Boyle - JT Brown - Cedric Paquette
Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Anton Stralman
Jason Garrison - Andrej Sustr
Slater Koekkoek - Nikita Nesterov
Braydon Coburn - Luke Witkowski
Goalie
Ben Bishop expected to start
THURSDAY'S MATCHUP
The Lightning and Canucks are playing their first of two meetings this season and their only meeting at AMALIE Arena...The Bolts visit Vancouver eight days later (Dec. 16) to close out the season series...Tampa Bay split a pair of games against Vancouver last season, each team winning on the road...Daniel Sedin netted the game-winning goal at 11:09 of the third period in the Canucks' 2-1 win at AMALIE Arena last season (Dec. 22, 2015)...Nikita Kucherov scored 3:51 into overtime to give the Bolts a 3-2 win last season in Vancouver (Jan. 9, 2016)...The Lightning have won five of their last six against Vancouver and are 7-1-1 vs. the Canucks since the start of the 2009-10 season...The Bolts are 4-1-1 in their last six at home vs. Vancouver...Tampa Bay is 7-6-2 all-time at home againstVancouver...The Lightning are 11-14-3 with two ties overall vs. the Canucks.
LIGHTNING-CANUCKS STORYLINES
The Lightning are coming off their first three-day break of the season after starting 2016-17 with 27 games in 53 days...Per the Elias Sports Bureau, since the start of the 2014-15 season, Tampa Bay has more home victories (64) and has the best home points percentage (.715) of any team in the NHL (second: NYR with 62 wins and a .691 home points percentage)...The Lightning are 7-3-1 at home this season...The Bolts have yet to beat a Western Conference team this season, going 0-4-0...The Lightning were 10-4-0 against Pacific Division teams in 2015-16...Alex Killorn will play in his 300th career NHL game tonight, provided he's in the lineup.
INJURIES
2016-17 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 45
Current injuries
Ryan Callahan - Lower-body injury (DAY-TO-DAY; INJURED NOV. 29) 4 Games
Jonathan Drouin - Undisclosed injury (DAY-TO-DAY; INJURED DEC. 4) 1 Game
Jason Garrison - Lower-body injury (DAY-TO-DAY; INJURED DEC. 1) 2 Games
Steven Stamkos - Lateral meniscus tear in right knee (OUT APPROXIMATELY 4 MONTHS; INJURED NOV. 15) 10 Games
TRANSACTIONS
Dec. 6 - Re-assigned F Michael Bournival to AHL Syracuse
Dec. 6 - Re-assigned D Luke Witkowski to AHL Syracuse
Nov. 30 - Recalled F Joel Vermin from AHL Syracuse
Nov. 30 - Recalled F Michael Bournival from AHL Syracuse
IN THE NIK OF TIME
Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning for goals (13), assists (16) and scoring (29 points)...Kucherov ranks second in the NHL for scoring behind only EDM's Connor McDavid (11-25--36)...Kucherov ranks tied for sixth in the league for goals...Kucherov has points in eight of his last 12 games (8 goals, 5 assists) and 13 of his last 19 games (12 goals, 10 assists)...Kucherov leads the Lightning for shooting percentage (17.8%) and ranks tied for 29th in the NHL...Kucherov paces the Bolts and is tied for 20th in the NHL for plus-minus (+10)...Since the start of the 2014-15 season, Kucherov owns a +57 rating, the third best combined plus-minus in the league over that span.
