Fresh off a 2-1 overtime loss to the Ottawa Senators, the Tampa Bay Lightning will take to the ice tonight for their final matchup with the Florida Panthers this season. This is the fourth meeting of the year between the state rivals; Tampa has won two of the first three.
While the Lightning have already clinched a playoff spot and the Panthers have all but played themselves out of the race, there’s still something to play for tonight. The Bolts are only two points behind the Montreal Canadiens for first place in the Atlantic. A win tonight would pull Tampa Bay into a tie with the team that swept them last spring. The team still has a decent chance at first place.
Plus, arguably more interesting than the Lightning vs. Panthers game itself is the out-of-town scoreboard. The reality is that the Lightning are staring right at a nightmare scenario. They can’t jump past the Canadiens for first place in the Atlantic, thanks to the game in hand that Montreal will pick up. The Detroit Red Wings are playing against Minnesota. And the Boston Bruins are playing against Toronto. There’s a very real chance that the Lightning will go to bed on Saturday with the Bruins in the Atlantic’s third spot. That’s a matchup they’ll likely want to avoid.
Some pre-game notes:
* Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times reported yesterday that both Tyler Johnson and Victor Hedman took part in an optional skate. Smith notes that Johnson is likely closer to returning that Hedman, but that both are expected to be out through the weekend.
* The Lightning have lost four of their last five games, meaning that they’ve passed up on a number of opportunities to put real pressure on the Canadiens. I’m not a huge believer in the idea that momentum carries over from game to game, but it would be nice to see the team put up a few wins before the season ends next week.
* Tampa has a chance to clinch home-ice tonight. With a single point earned or a Detroit loss, the Bolts will clinch home-ice advantage for the first round of the playoffs. If the team is going to ban certain jerseys or colors in certain areas of the arena, they might as well have four games to do so instead of three.
* Steven Stamkos is mired in a goalless drought. He hasn’t scored in seven games, which marks his longest drought since 2009. Now would be a good time for him to open the floodgates.
I’ll be back post-game. As always, thanks for reading.