Victor Hedman speaks with reporters postgame After two quick games at home, Tampa Bay is back on the road for four games. The schedule is jam-packed for the month of January with 16 games total and four sets of back-to-back contests. Ten of those 16 games are on the road. The good news? They’re more than half way through the month. Three of the Lightning’s next four games are Atlantic Division matchups, and with a 3-6-0 divisional record thus far, those are points they want to grab. First up: A back-to-back series against the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens. Toronto and Montreal have both won 6 of their last nine games. The Lightning currently hold the third place spot in the Atlantic, but the race has tightened in the new year with Ottawa, Montreal, Boston and Detroit all following closely behind. The next two games will be an opportunity for Tampa Bay to establish themselves in the standings, and with the Florida Panthers only four points ahead, there’s room to move up as well. Morning Skate News: The Lightning recalled defenseman Max Crozier from the Syracuse Crunch. In addition, Erik Cernak was not present at morning skate, giving the indication that he may not be available to play Monday night against Toronto. He is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed injury.
