The team finished 5-2 in their preseason games and are now one step closer to kicking off the NHL season Tuesday at Amalie Arena.
The Tampa Bay Lightning ended the 2023 preseason with a 4-2 win over the Florida Panthers in Sunrise. Tanner Jeannot, Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel (shorthanded), and Brayden Point all recorded goals while Jonas Johansson stopped 27 of 29 shots. He's made 94 saves on 96 shots in three starts.
The Lightning are currently sitting with 26 players. They’ll have to trim their roster down to 23 by Monday. Additionally, they’ll have to count Vasilevskiy as a third goaltender on opening night in order to use a long-term injury exemption during his recovery from back surgery.
Both Alex Barre-Boulet and Waltteri Merla played last night as head coach Jon Cooper decides who is going to make the final cut.
Waltteri Merela, a free-agent from Finland, assisted on Tanner Jeannot’s opening goal. He ended the preseason with two goals, two assists and plus-3.
“This kid’s gotten better with every game,” Cooper told reporters after the game. “He looks more comfortable out there. The big thing is, you look at the puck battles and he wins them. When you’ve got a big body, you have to be able to use it, and he does. So, he’s definitely going to make decisions tough on us.”
The team finished 5-2 in their preseason games and are now one step closer to kicking off the NHL season against the Nashville Predators for Opening Night on Tuesday.