Lightning Stick With 11F/7D Lineup Against Canucks

The Lightning are back on home ice Saturday afternoon as they host the Vancouver Canucks for a 4 p.m. puck drop at Benchmark International Arena.

Dennis Hildeby will get his second start in net for Tampa Bay after making his first appearance against Minnesota on Oct. 8. The Lightning will also stick with an 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup.

Charle-Edouard D’Astous and Gage Goncalves will draw back into the lineup after being healthy scratches in the last game. Jeffrey Viel and Max Crozier will sit out.

With a number of solid players up and down the lineup, competition for ice time has become a theme early in the season for the Lightning.

“This year's different,” said Jon Cooper. “We've never carried 23. We've never had the ability to do so, but I'd rather have them than not have players."

“Competition is created because we have 23 good players and only 20 can play, so that's where it's created, but you want that for your guys. It can be frustrating, I'm sure for guys that don't get to play every night, but you want guys driving for spots.”

Cooper doesn’t have a set timeline for how long the Lightning will continue using an 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup. The decision will depend in part on how the team performs.

“When you’re winning, you know it’s harder at times to change," said Cooper. "It’ll be about how we’re playing too, that will factor into it”