For the first time in a long time, the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes will face each other as non-division rivals tonight at the PNC Arena. The Lightning, who did not lose in the Old North State last season, will be looking to get back on the winning track following a disappointing loss to the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
After opening the 2013-14 season strongly, the Lightning have struggled in recent games. Despite the team’s 3-2-0 record in its last five contests, the reality is that the Lightning have struggled to play with urgency or intensity in recent weeks. If they want to grab victory tonight, the Bolts must be better.
With that in mind, the team announced yesterday that it has recalled Brett Connolly from the Syracuse Crunch. Unlike the last time he was up with the big club, it seems that Connolly will play meaningful minutes tonight against the Hurricanes. After an incredibly strong preseason, it’s nice to see him get another shot to make an impression on the team’s brass. He’ll get the opportunity to play with Tyler Johnson and Ondrej Palat this evening, as Jon Cooper shakes up his lines hoping to generate a much needed spark.
The other big lineup change for the Lightning sees Mark Barberio slot in for Andrej Sustr on the back end. Barberio hasn’t seen much playing time this season, thanks in large part to the emergence of the aforementioned Sustr. That being said, there is no doubting the young blueliner’s talent. His offensive flare and potential have the entire Lightning organization excited. Look for him to be played in all situations tonight, as the team is only slated to ice six defenders.
Ben Bishop will once again start for the Lightning. In nine games played, he has compiled a 7-2-0 record, 2.41 goals-against average, and 0.914 save percentage. Simply put, Big Ben has given his team a chance to win on most nights this season. For a Lightning organization that has experienced a lot of ups and downs in the crease over the last few years, the fact that Bishop is providing consistent goaltending is incredibly nice.
For their part, the Hurricanes will send out Justin Peters as their last line of defense against one of the league’s most potent teams. With both Cam Ward and Anton Khudobin injured, Peters has been thrust into the spotlight. He is 0-3-0 this season with a 3.14 goals-against average and 0.893 save percentage. You can bet that the Bolts’ offensive guns will be looking to take advantage. Steven Stamkos, in particular, must be excited. In his last four games, he has generated four goals and four assists. To understate things, Stamkos is on fire.
Tonight’s game provides the Lightning with a great opportunity to move their record to an impressive 9-4-0. An uninspired effort, however, could result in devastating consequences. The Hurricanes boast a ton of great offensive pieces; the Lightning must be solid in both the offensive end and defensive end.
As always, thanks for reading.