Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Starting in Montreal
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Vasilevskiy will guard the road goal Tuesday against Montreal, Gabby Shirley of Bally Sports Florida reports.
Vasilevskiy gave up four goals on 38 shots in Sunday's 5-2 loss to New Jersey. He has a 31-18-4 record this season with a 2.70 GAA and a .914 save percentage. Vasilevskiy has won his previous two starts against the Canadiens this season, having stopped 47 of 49 shots. Montreal sits 27th in the league this campaign with 2.77 goals per game.
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Lightning's Max Crozier: Inks two-year deal
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Crozier agreed to terms on a two-year, entry-level contract with Tampa Bay on Tuesday.
Crozier spent four years playing for Providence College for which he racked up 17 goals and 54 assists in 119 collegiate contests. The blueliner is expected to link up with AHL Syracuse on an amateur tryout for the remainder of the 2022-23 campaign before his two-year pact kicks in next season.
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Grabs 100th point Sunday
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Kucherov tallied a goal on four shots in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Devils.
Kucherov opened the scoring Sunday, one-timing a Steven Stamkos feed past Vitek Vanecek just after Tampa's power play had expired. The goal marks the 100th point of the season for Kucherov, the third time in his nine-year NHL career that he's reached triple digits. The 29-year-old winger is up to 28 goals and 72 assists through 71 games. He trails only Edmonton's Connor McDavid (76) in helpers this season.
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Lightning's Alex Killorn: Scores in loss
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Killorn scored a goal on two shots in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Devils.
Killorn gave the Lightning a 2-0 lead in the second period, sending a wrist shot past a screened Vitek Vanecek. The 33-year-old Killorn has been hot of late, tallying seven goals and 11 points in 11 games since the start of March. He's up to 54 points (22 goals, 32 assists) in 71 contests this year, five shy of his career high from last season.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Falls to Devils
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Vasilevskiy stopped 34 of 38 shots in Sunday's 5-2 loss to the Devils.
Vasilevskiy held the Devils off the board as the Lightning jumped out to a 2-0 lead in the second period. However, Vasilevskiy would allow four unanswered goals in the final two frames before New Jersey added an empty-netter, handing the 28-year-old netminder a 5-2 loss. Vasilevskiy falls to 31-18-4 with a .914 save percentage on the season. He'll look to get back in the winning column Tuesday when the Lightning visit the Canadiens.
Perry is not in Sunday's lineup against New Jersey, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.
Perry had suited up in each of the Lightning's first 70 games this season but appears to be a healthy scratch Sunday. The veteran winger has posted a minus-12 rating with 18 PIM and zero points in his last 14 games. Patrick Maroon will be back in the lineup in a fourth-line role.
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Lightning's Andrei Vasilevskiy: Facing Devils again
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Vasilevskiy will get the starting nod at home against New Jersey on Sunday, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.
Vasilevskiy will take on the Devils for the third time in the last six days. He stopped a combined 54 of 58 shots while earning wins in both previous matchups. On the year, the 28-year-old is 31-17-4 with a .914 save percentage. Vasilevskiy is looking for his first home win since March 7.
Lightning's Victor Hedman: Snaps six-game goal drought
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Hedman (undisclosed) scored a goal Saturday in a 5-3 win over Montreal.
It was a wrist shot from the high slot that tied the game 1-1 at 11:31 of the first period. Hedman snapped a six-game goal drought, but it's not for lack of trying -- he has 21 shots in his last seven games. With just seven goals, Hedman is at risk of missing the double-digit goal mark, something that has happened only one other time over his last nine seasons. And even then, it was because of a COVID-shortened campaign. Hedman is currently sitting with around half (44 points) of his career-best campaign (20 goals, 85 points) set last year. He's still elite, but he's certainly a fantasy disappointment relative to where you drafted him.
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Lightning's Steven Stamkos: Eighth 30-goal season of career
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Stamkos scored a goal Saturday in a 5-3 win over Montreal.
Stamkos scored on a one-timer off a pass from Nikita Kucherov on the power play early in the third period for Stamkos' 30th goal of the season. It's the eighth time in his NHL career that he has hit that plateau. Stamkos has 510 goals and 1,041 points in 990 games in his career.
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Lightning's Nikita Kucherov: Never too many apples
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Kucherov picked up two assists in a 5-3 win over Montreal on Saturday.
He's now riding a modest, three-game scoring streak (one goal, three assists). Kucherov's 72 assists are good for second in the NHL, behind only Connor McDavid (76). And his next point will be this 100th. Only two players -- Connor McDavid (134) and Leon Draisaitl (104) -- have already hit the century mark in points for this season.
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Lightning's Brian Elliott: Solid when needed
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Elliott made 18 saves in a 5-3 win over Montreal on Saturday.
Elliott was solid. Full stop. His team failed him with poor puck management in the second, and he was on the short side of a 3-2 score heading into the third. But the game was played almost entirely in the Habs' zone in the final frame and Elliott stopped what he needed to stop to retain the lead. It was his second straight win. Elliott will likely see play in back-to-backs, but little else unless the Bolts decide to give Andrei Vasilevskiy a rest.
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Lightning's Brandon Hagel: Hats off in win
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Hagel earned a hat trick Saturday in a 5-3 win over Montreal. It was the second of his NHL career and first with Tampa Bay.
He was all over the ice, firing seven shots in 19:20 of ice time. Hagel's first goal came early in the second when he put in a rebound off the boards on a Nikita Kucherov shot that had missed the net. His second stood as the winner -- he redirected a Mikhail Sergachev point shot past Sam Montembeault at 5:58 of the third. Hagel completed the hattie with an empty-net snipe in the final minute of the game. He continues to pad his career totals and has 27 goals (59 points) in 70 games.
Elliott will get the home crease versus Montreal on Saturday, Chris Krenn of the Lightning's official site reports.
Elliott picked up his first win in five starts March 11, stopping 22 shots in a 3-1 victory over Chicago. He is 10-5-2 with a 3.16 GAA and .896 save percentage. Elliott faces the Canadiens, who are 28th in NHL scoring, averaging 2.77 goals per contest.
Lightning's Tanner Jeannot: Zero shots since joining new team
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Jeannot had three blocks and one hit in 15:11 of ice time in a 4-3 shootout win over the Devils on Thursday.
Jeannot has three assists in 10 games with Tampa Bay, but he has no shots. Overall, the abrasive winger's offensive struggles this season have continued in Florida, and he has just 17 points in 66 games after delivering 41 in 2020-21. Jeannot's value to the Bolts lies in his ability to lay the body in the regular season and playoffs. He's pretty much droppable in most formats at this point.
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Lightning's Nick Perbix: Ice time dropping
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Perbix had three shots in 12:56 of ice time Thursday in a 4-3 shootout win over New Jersey.
Perbix's ice time has dropped from 20:03 a week ago (March 9). He has just one assist in his last 13 games, and while he may have a decent fantasy future, Perbix isn't a viable option for a contending fantasy squad at this point.
