The Lightning’s four-game win streak has them looking much more like the team everyone’s used to seeing. Still, the group knows there’s plenty of work ahead, and it starts with their upcoming road trip through Utah, Colorado, and Vegas.
“We’ve got to hit the road and continue to build on this. Obviously, yeah, it’s four, but it doesn’t stop here,” Brandon Hagel said after their win over Dallas on Thursday. “It’s just one day at a time and a couple of good days of practice and then hit the road and go be some road warriors.”
The Lightning are expected to get defenseman Max Crozier back after being sidelined with a lower-body injury since Oct. 14, when the team visited the Washington Capitals. His return would give them eight healthy defensemen. Crozier has been skating with the team at practice, and on Thursday morning, head coach Jon Cooper indicated he was close to re-joining the lineup.
Forward Nick Paul is also nearing a return. After undergoing surgery on his left wrist prior to training camp, he’s expected to have traveled with the team for this weekend’s road trip. On Friday, Cooper said Paul’s status will be considered day-to-day “as soon as the road trip ends.”
Utah will be a strong first test for the Lightning, entering the matchup 4-0-0 at home and 8-3-0 overall. The Lightning’s penalty kill has been a major factor in their recent win streak, ranking third in the NHL at 89.2% while limiting opponents to just 2.82 goals per game. Meanwhile, the Mammoth have found consistency on the power play, scoring in six of their last seven games.
“We want to bring the same energy we've had at home, playing quick with and without the puck,” Lightning captain Victor Hedman said of the team's preparation. “Utah is a good team, so we'll make sure we have a have a good start, get acclimated to the altitude and are ready to go.”
Former Lightning defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, who is now in his second season with Utah and anchoring the team’s blue line, will be plenty familiar with his opponent. Sergachev has quickly found his stride in Utah, logging two goals and seven assists in 11 games while averaging nearly 25 minutes of ice time a night.
“I’m proud of the way he's come along,” Hedman said of Sergachev. “I mean, he's shown with us as well, just how good he is. To be the true number one, getting a lot of power play time, and playing in big situations. That's really good for his development and he’s off to a great start, I’m really proud of him.”
The two teams will face off on Sunday at 3:30 p.m. EST