When:Thursday, January 21 - 7 p.m. ET
Where:Nationwide Arena - Columbus, OH
TV coverage: NBCSN (check local listings)
Radio coverage: WFLA 970-AM,
Lightning Power Play
Where to stream it:
NBC Sports Live
or
NHL.TV
Lines from Tuesday's practice (Subject to change)
Forwards
Ondrej Palat - Brayden Point - Steven Stamkos
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - Tyler Johnson
Mathieu Joseph - Yanni Gourde - Barclay Goodrow
Pat Maroon - Mitchell Stephens - Alexander Volkov
Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Jan Rutta
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev - Luke Schenn
Andreas Borgman - Cal Foote
Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Christopher Gibson
Thursday's Matchup
The Lightning and Blue Jackets are meeting for the first time this season and playing the first of two consecutive matchups...Tampa Bay and Columbus will face each other eight times in the 2020-21 reg. season...Tampa Bay and Columbus have met in the First Round each of the last two playoff seasons...The Lightning defeated the Blue Jackets in five games in the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, highlighted by a five overtime, 3-2 Bolts win in Game 1 that is the fourth-longest playoff game in NHL history, Brayden Point netting the game winner at 90:27 of overtime at Toronto's Scotiabank Arena Aug. 11, 2020...In the 2019 Playoffs, the Blue Jackets swept the Lightning in four games, an abrupt end for a Tampa Bay team that won 62 games during the reg. season and tied the NHL record for wins (also: 1995-96 DET)... The Lightning defeated Columbus 2-1 in OT in their lone 2019-20 reg. season meeting Feb. 10, 2020 at Nationwide Arena, Nikita Kucherov scoring both Tampa Bay goals, including the game-winner 31 seconds into OT...Tampa Bay is 21-10-0 with one tie all-time in the reg. season vs. Columbus, the Bolts' .672 points percentage their second highest vs. any NHL opponent (highest: .683 vs. LAK)... Columbus is one of two teams the Lightning have never lost a reg. season OT or shootout game to (also: SJS)... Tampa Bay has won seven in a row in the reg. season over Columbus...The Bolts are allowing 1.97 goals per game in 32 reg. season meetings vs. Columbus, their lowest goals allowed average vs. any NHL opponent.
Thursday's Storylines
Tampa Bay can become the first defending Stanley Cup champion to win each of its first three games to start the following season since Detroit went 4-0 in 1997-98...The Lightning are playing for the first time in six days; home games Jan. 17 and 19 vs. Dallas were postponed to May 4 and 10, respectively, due to a COVID-19 outbreak in the Stars' training camp and a delay to the start of their season... Tampa Bay is playing its first road game of the season and starts a four-game road trip tonight.
Injuries
2020-21 Reg. Season Man Games Lost: 2
Current injuries:
Nikita Kucherov (Hip surgery Dec. 29; Out) - 2 Games
The Road Ahead
Saturday, January 23 at Columbus Blue Jackets
Tuesday, January 26 at Carolina Hurricanes
Thursday, January 28 at Carolina Hurricanes
Want more info and live score updates? Click here to subscribe to the 2020-21 Game Day Guide email list.
