The Tampa Bay Lighting (19-15-4) take on the Winnipeg Jets (17-19-3) at the Amalie Arena on Tuesday Night. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
This is the first time these two team will square off against one another this season. They will play again in Winnipeg on February 11th.
Lightning Outlook
Tampa Bay is playing its fourth of five straight games at home where the team has played very well. They have acquired five points in this recent homestand, beating both Montreal and Carolina while losing to Toronto in overtime. The Lightning are 11-5-2 at the Amalie Arena this season.
Although the team is only 38 games in the regular season, the Bolts find themselves right in the thick of an exciting playoff race. Currently, Tampa is on the outside looking in but are only two points behind the third-place Bruins as well as the second-place Senators. The Lightning also find themselves only three points the second wild card spot.
Tampa Bay is not the only team making a push for a playoff spot. The Maple Leafs are only one point behind the Lightning and have played two fewer games. The Panthers are also breathing on the neck of the Bolts as they only sit two points behind them in the standings. The Lightning need to keep winning not only to gain ground but to assure no team passes them as well.
Injuries continue to beat down the Bolts and it appears that Brian Boyle is the latest victim. He is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury and his status for Tuesday is unknown at this time. Tampa Bay called up Adam Erne from Syracuse who could play in his first NHL game in Boyle is unable to go.
Jets Outlook
The Jets are coming off a two-game homestand against Columbus and the New York Islanders. They failed to acquire any points against both opponents and are now trying to prevent a three-game losing streak.
Winnipeg has struggled on the road so far this season. They have gone 7-11-2 in the 20 games they have played away from the MTS Centre. Although the Jets find themselves a part of the bottom half of the Western Conference, not all hope is lost at this point. They are only three points out of the second wild-card spot but will have to outperform a lot of talented teams in order to squeak into the playoff picture.
Comparisons
To put it bluntly, the Lightning have been the better team in almost every aspect of the game. The Bolts have a higher ranked offense, scoring 2.82 goals per game compared to Winnipeg's 2.59. They are also better defensively, allowing 2.71 goals per game compared to the Jets' 2.97. The Lightning are also a stronger team in regards to special teams, both on the powerplay and penalty kill.
Although Tampa appears to have the upper hand, they cannot afford to underestimate the opposition. The Jets possess some highly talented players that have the ability to get hot at any moment.