After the way last season ended, the Lightning have made it a priority to find more success at home. It’s still early in the season, but they’ve gotten off to a strong start at Benchmark International Arena, going 5-0 on home ice. Now, Tampa Bay hits the road for a three-game trip that begins Tuesday night in Vegas. The late start will have fans on the East Coast staying up, with puck drop set for 10:30 p.m. ET. The trip won’t be an easy one. The Lightning open against the defending Western Conference champions, who currently lead their division at 10-8-2. From there, the team heads to Colorado on Friday before wrapping up the trip against Utah on Saturday. Both teams are among the top three in their division, setting up a good test for the Lightning to close out the trip. “We’ve played eight games, five have been at home, and we’ve taken care of business here, which has been great,” said Jon Cooper. “We’re 1-2 on the road, and now we’re going out west, multiple time zone changes against — I don’t know what the combined record of the three teams is, but I bet it’s something like a lot of wins and not very many losses. These three teams are… you could put them in a grouping of the class of the west. This is a legitimate early season test for us.” IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/a92197a2-1f75-49f0-8788-382aeb77e2f8.jpeg] IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect Special teams will be an area to watch on the trip. Tampa Bay enters Tuesday’s matchup against Vegas ranked 31st in the NHL on the power play at 10.7%. The Lightning made a change to their first power-play unit Saturday, adding defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous [https://www.nhl.com/lightning/player/charle-edouard-d-astous-8480426/stats] in search of a spark. The adjustment paid off, as Tampa Bay scored on its first and only opportunity. “We were 32nd in the league,” said Cooper. “It was time to try some new things, we didn't get many chances, but I thought they made the best of it.” The penalty kill will also be tested. Tampa Bay ranks 22nd in the league, while Vegas enters Tuesday sixth on the power play at 27.8%. Utah, the Lightning’s final opponent of the trip, leads the NHL with a 35.3% success rate on the man advantage. “I think everyone knows who’s on the team, and Utah's been incredible to see so far, certainly a team that caught everyone's eye last year too,” said defenseman John Carlson. “That's a bear of a road trip and like I said, I think you kind of stay singularly focused on what you can do.” IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect [https://deweb-519a7.b-cdn.net/post-images/fd3c48ee-0f34-4a7b-9ae9-4dc112cd06f7.jpeg] IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect The Lightning have a surplus of talent this season, carrying a 23-man roster and rotating an 11-forward, seven-defenseman lineup. The approach has allowed them to spread out the minutes among their defensemen. Cooper has no set timeline for how long he’ll continue with the lineup, so expect to see it as an option throughout the trip. “Our team has depth. I think that’s one of the positives about our group, among a bunch of them,” said Cooper. “To be able to throw lines out, you shouldn't have to worry if the puck's going to end up in your net, that’s been a good sign for us and this group so far. But again, you have much less control of what's going on when you go on the road, and it'll be tests for our guys.” Backup goalie Dennis Hildeby is expected to start one of the two back-to-back games in Colorado or Utah. Hildeby is coming off two straight wins at home. “He’s been good,” said Cooper. “He gives us a chance to win. That's what you're asking from your goalies, both of them. That's what they've done every night.” MILESTONE WATCH Nikita Kucherov [https://www.nhl.com/lightning/player/nikita-kucherov-8476453/stats], who scored twice Saturday, is four points away from passing Steven Stamkos for the Lightning’s all-time scoring record. Stamkos, now in his third season with the Nashville Predators, holds the record with 1,137 points (555 goals, 582 assists) in 1,082 games. Kucherov sits just three points behind with 1,134 points (404 goals, 730 assists) in 887 games.
