The obvious storyline for tonight’s game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and visiting Boston Bruins? Will B’s defensemen Dougie Hamilton successfully break Steven Stamkos’ leg for the second time in five months? Sources close to Hamilton tell me that Hamilton’s ditching a hockey stick for tonight’s contest, instead opting for a sword. Cut out the middle man (and the leg).
Only kidding. I hope, anyways.
It seems like ages ago now, but it was a hard collision with the Bruins’ Hamilton that pushed arguably the game’s best scorer into the post at TD Garden, resulting in a fractured shin. The crash also resulted in a 45-game absence from the lineup for Stamkos, and kept No. 91 off the ice in Sochi. Hamilton was (mildly) vilified by Tampa and Team Canada fans, and though it was anything but intentional, you can expect some boos from the hometown fans in No. 27’s first game in Tampa since.
That’s probably the last thing Hamilton and the B’s, who enter tonight’s contest with three straight wins to their names, are worrying about though given the way they’ve owned Tampa this season.
In three head to head meetings with the Bolts, the Bruins are a perfect 3-0-0, outscoring Tampa Bay 11-to-1, and shutting them out in the previous two contests. And since 2008-09, Stamkos’ rookie year, the Bruins have won 16 of 22 regular season contests against Tampa Bay.
No matter the coach, goaltender, or system the Lightning have implemented against the B’s, Claude Julien’s squad has found a way to match and in most cases, best, the Blue-and-White.
But this is a different Lightning club. Captain Marty St. Louis has been moved out of town (with Stamkos now assuming captain duties) for (now former) NY Rangers’ captain Ryan Callahan, goaltender Ben Bishop has had a true breakout year, and head coach Jon Cooper is using a strong farm system and mixture of key summertime free agent signings to his advantage, seemingly squeezing the most he can of his roster on a nightly basis.
Tonight will be Stamkos’ second game back, and while he was held off the scoresheet on his five shots on Thursday, the 24-year-old comes into tonight’s game with 12 goals and 18 points in 22 career games against the Bruins. He’s a bonafide Bruin killer. (He’s actually an equal opportunity killer given his career splits.) And the Bolts’ newest top six winger, the gritty Callahan, with 13 points in 25 career games against Boston, is no stranger to Zdeno Chara and company.
Oh, and with a 3-1 loss against the league-worst Buffalo Sabres to their name on Thursday and now with a slim lead on their wild card spot, you can expect the Bolts to come out flying against Boston.
The towering Bishop will get the start for Tampa Bay. He lasted just 36 minutes in his last outing against the B’s, surrendering four goals on 17 shots, and has allowed seven goals on 44 shots in two career games against Boston. In spite of those less than stellar career figures, the 27-year-old Bishop comes into action with three wins and a .925 save percentage in his last eight games.
Winners of three straight, the B’s will hope to put forth yet another dynamite defensive effort.
Holding Alexander Ovechkin and company to just 16 shots in their last game, the Bruins are seemingly returning to their roots after an uncharacteristically sloppy return from the Olympic break, buckling down in the defensive zone while forcing errors at the other end with a hard forecheck. And with all four lines clicking, the Bruins are a dangerous club.
Goaltender Tuukka Rask gets the nod for the fourth time in the past five games. Rask has straight up killed Tampa in 2013-14, winning all three games and allowing just one goal on 84 shots.
That’s pretty good.
Deadline pickups Andrej Meszaros and Corey Potter are expected to be healthy scratches for the B's once again.