[10:00 PM] Lightning @ Canucks

Who will WIN this matchup?

Tampa Bay Lightning (15-13-2)

@ Vancouver Canucks (12-16-2)

 

Starting Goalies:

Andrei Vasilevskiy (TB): Confirmed

Ryan Miller (VAN): Confirmed

 

• The Tampa Bay Lightning get a chance to avenge one of their worst performances during a recent dispiriting eight-game stretch when they visit the struggling Vancouver Canucks on Friday. The Lightning went 1-6-1 – including a 5-1 loss against Vancouver at home Dec. 8 – before starting a three-game trip to Western Canada with a solid victory over Calgary on Wednesday.

• Vancouver dropped three straight games since the victory in Tampa Bay while surrendering 15 goals total, including six in the third period of an 8-6 loss at Carolina on Tuesday. Daniel Sedin, who leads the Canucks in scoring with 20 points, had an assist in that contest to move within two of 600 for his career.

• Injuries were a big part of Tampa Bay’s slump and they have not gotten any better as forward Ondrej Palat (undisclosed) left Wednesday’s game and will be re-evaluated. Fellow forwards Ryan Callahan (lower-body) and Nikita Kucherov (lower-body) participated in the morning skate Wednesday, but were held out of the lineup and are day-to-day. Defenseman Victor Hedman posted three assists against Calgary, is three shy of 200 for his career and has 251 points in 500 NHL games.

• Vancouver could get one of its three injured defensemen back (Alexander Edler and Philip Larsen are out) Friday as Chris Tanev (ankle) practiced Thursday and told reporters: “I felt great today.” Daniel Sedin boasts one more point than his twin brother Henrik (19) and is three clear of 21-year-old forward Bo Horvat. Forward Sven Baertschi notched a pair of goals against Carolina and has five of his six tallies in the last eight contests while Markus Granlund snapped a 12-game goal drought with his sixth tally Tuesday.

• The Lightning have won four straight games at Vancouver, including a 3-2 overtime triumph last season.

 

StreakSmarts Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning

Confidence: 5/10

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