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In what I’m sure will not be the last head-to-head for Atlantic Division supremacy in 2016-17, the Sunshine State war will continue as the Tampa Bay Lightning (2-0-0) continue their four-game homestand with a visit from the rival Florida Panthers (2-0-0) at Amalie Arena on Tuesday night.
“They're a really good team,” Lightning head coach
Jon Cooper said of the Panthers. “They've had a year to win together, so they're that much more confident in what they're doing.”
On the heels of another two-goal comeback, this time against the New Jersey Devils, the Lightning will look to keep their hot power play rolling (three goals in nine power-play opportunities), as Ben Bishop returns back to the cage after a 28-of-32 performance in last week’s opening night win over Detroit.
Bishop has seven wins and a .912 save percentage in 10 head-to-heads with the Cats.
The Panthers will counter with
James Reimer.
Set for his Panthers debut, Reimer won 17 games and posted a .922 save percentage between the Toronto Maple Leafs and San Jose Sharks last season, and comes into this one with three wins and a .915 save percentage in nine career games against the Lightning.
One of Florida’s big performers, at least out of the gate? Ex-Lightning forward Jonathan Marchessault.
Because of course.
Out of the Lightning’s plans this summer in pursuit of a bigger role, Marchessault has found just that with the Panthers, on their first line with
Aleksander Barkov and the ageless
Jaromir Jagr in place of Jonathan Huberdeau (out long-term with a nasty leg injury). The 25-year-old has developed some chemistry with the combo, too, with a team-leading two goals and four points.
Marchessault’s early season success with the Panthers should come as anything but a shock to those that watched him grow with the Bolts as a capable secondary scorer a year ago. And his departure from Bolts Blue for Florida Red made sense, especially given his standing on the Tampa Bay depth chart behind
Jonathan Drouin,
Nikita Kucherov, and
Ryan Callahan.
With Marchessault out of town, and with Callahan (hip surgery) still on the shelf, Marchessault’s likely would-have-been spot on Tampa Bay’s forward corp on a line with
Valtteri Filppula and
Vladdy Namestnikov has been seized by prospect
Brayden Point.
Point recorded the first point of his NHL career along with five shots on goal in Saturday’s win.
This will be the first of four head-to-heads between the Bolts and Panthers this season.
The Lightning will also honor former captain Vincent Lecavalier with a pregame ceremony.
Ty Anderson has been covering the National Hockey League for HockeyBuzz.com since 2010, has been a member of the Pro Hockey Writers Association's Boston Chapter since 2013, and can also be read in the New England Hockey Journal magazine. Contact him on Twitter or send him an email at Ty.AndersonHB[at]gmail.com.
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