Thursday’s matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Vegas Golden Knights will mark the second meeting between the two teams in the past week and a half. Tampa Bay took the first game 2–1, when Nikita Kucherov scored 32 seconds into overtime.
The Lightning, who opened their road trip with a 4–2 win over the Utah Mammoth, enter Thursday’s matchup coming off a 3–2 loss to the NHL-points-leading Colorado Avalanche on Tuesday night in Denver. The loss snapped the Lightning’s five-game win streak.
“It was good for a bit, and then we got in our own way. And when we get in our own way, it's usually going to be tough for us,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. “I loved our first period. It was unfortunate that [there were] untimely penalties. We took those tonight, but they were a better team for periods two and three. So, that was a little disappointing.”
Ahead of Tuesday’s game, the Lightning activated defenseman Max Crozier from injured reserve after he had been sidelined with a lower-body injury since Oct. 14, when the team visited the Washington Capitals. Jon Cooper opted for an 11-forward, 7-defenseman lineup against Colorado, and it’s possible he’ll stick with the same setup Thursday in Vegas.
Vegas will be a strong matchup for the Lightning, coming into Thursday’s game with a 4-1-1 record at home and a 7-2-3 mark overall. The Golden Knights may turn to a different goaltender this time, as head coach Bruce Cassidy said after Wednesday’s practice that both Carl Lindbom and Akira Schmid are expected to start at some point this week. Vegas also hosts the Anaheim Ducks on Saturday. Schmid began the season as Adin Hill’s backup, but Hill remains sidelined with a lower-body injury.
It’s a late one — puck drop is set for 10 p.m. EST.