Nuts and Bolts: Going for a perfect homestand

The Bolts and Leafs meet for the first time this season on Thursday night at Amalie Arena in a matchup of the top two teams in the Atlantic Division.
Tampa Bay comes in having extended its winning streak to seven games with a 6-3 victory over the Rangers on Monday night. Toronto was also victorious in its most recent action, knocking off the Hurricanes 4-1 on Tuesday night.

Lines from Monday's game. Subject to change.
Forwards
Ondrej Palat - Steven Stamkos - Yanni Gourde
Tyler Johnson - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - J.T. Miller
Mathieu Joseph - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan
Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Braydon Coburn - Mikhail Sergachev
Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to start
Thursday's Matchup
The Lightning and the Maple Leafs are playing their first of four meetings this season (also: Jan. 17 vs. TOR, March 11 at TOR and April 4 at TOR) and the first of two at AMALIE Arena...Tampa Bay went 3-1-0 against Toronto in 2017-18, winning both games in Tampa and splitting a pair of games in Toronto...Three of the four meetings between the two teams produced a 4-3 final score...Tampa Bay shut out the Maple Leafs in Toronto 2-0 in the first meeting Jan. 2, Andrei Vasilevskiy stopping all 29 shots he faced for his second-consecutive shutout...The Leafs beat the Bolts 4-3 in Toronto Feb. 12, Tampa Bay rallying from a 3-0 deficit to tie the game 3-3 in the third period before James van Riemsdyk netted the game-winning goal at 4:37 of the third...Tampa Bay earned a 4-3 shootout win over Toronto in Tampa Feb. 26, Brayden Point the only player from either team to convert in the shootout (Second Round)...The Lightning scored a 4-3 home win in the final matchup of 2017-18 against Toronto, Andrei Vasilevskiy setting a franchise record for wins in a season after claiming his 41st victory...Tampa Bay has won seven of its last nine games at home versus Toronto, going 7-1-1 over that stretch...The Lightning are 9-3-1 overall against Toronto since the start of the 2015-16 season...Alex Killorn scored a goal in three of the last four games vs. TOR...Yanni Gourde is on a four-game point streak vs. TOR (1-4--5)...Steven Stamkos has tallied one assist in three-straight games vs. TOR.
Thursday's Storylines
The Lightning's seven-game win streak is the longest active streak in the NHL and is tied for the second-longest win streak this season in the league...The Bolts' seven-game win streak is the third-longest in franchise history (longest: 9 games from Feb. 18 to March 5, 2016; 2nd longest: 8 games from Feb. 23 to March 6, 2004)...Tampa Bay has won 10 of its last 11 games...The Bolts have yet to lose in December, going 6-0-0 in the month, and are the only NHL team without a loss in the month...Tampa Bay continues to top the NHL standings, opening up an eight-point lead over second place Toronto following Monday's win...The Lightning's 49 points through 32 games are their second-most points through the first 32 games of a season in franchise history (most: 50 points through 32 games in 2017-18)...The Bolts own the best goal differential (+39) in the NHL (2nd: TOR +25)...Tampa Bay leads the NHL for goals (128) and goals per game (4)...Since the start of the 2017-18 season, no NHL team has scored more goals than the Lightning with 418 (2nd: TOR - 379) ...Tampa Bay has scored five or more goals an NHL-best 13 times this season, including six times over the last seven games (Bolts are 13-0-0 when scoring five or more goals).
Injuries
2018-19 Man Games Lost: 60
Current injuries
Anton Stralman (Upper Body; Will be re-evaluated Dec. 12) 16 Games
They Said It

Parking Info
As our partners at Water Street Tampa continue to develop the 60 contiguous acres in the neighborhood surrounding AMALIE Arena, we ask for your patience and consideration when planning your visit to cheer on the Lightning or enjoy a concert, event or family show. We are pleased to report that the development project is well underway with a hotel and USF Health's Morsani College of Medicine in the midst of construction while we expect to see groundbreakings on several other projects during the 2018-19 season. Roadways are being realigned, traffic patterns are changing and new transportation options are emerging - all with a vision of creating a more user-friendly environment in the blocks surrounding AMALIE Arena.
As you plan your trip downtown, we aim to keep you informed of these new developments, offering you all you need to know about arriving at AMALIE safe and on time for your game or event.
Visit
TampaBayLightning.com/parking
for more information.
Tampa Bay Sports Item of the Game
Lightning Wireless Keyboard
It's Day #4 of 12 Days of Deals at Tampa Bay Sports. Today, get this Lightning Wireless USB Keyboard for 50% off. Available in stores and online at TampaBaySports.com while supplies last.
The Road Ahead
Sunday, Dec. 16 at Winnipeg Jets
Tuesday, Dec. 18 at Vancouver Canucks
Thursday, Dec. 20 at Calgary Flames