Vasilevskiy will return to the crease on Thursday night for his 10th start in the last 11 games for the Lightning. Vasilevskiy has struggled immensely lately, allowing four or more goals in four of his last five outings (1-4-0), including allowing four goals on 29 shots (.862 SV%) in a 6-2 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Tuesday. That said, Tampa Bay enters action as a -157 home favourite against the Buffalo Sabres.
Vasilevskiy took a seat after seven straight starts for Tampa Bay's previous game vs. New Jersey but will return to the crease on Tuesday in Pennsylvania. The 29-year-old is having the worst statistical season of his historic 10-year career, with his 20-14-0 record, 2.95 GAA and .897 SV%. He will look to improve on his season numbers Tuesday as he takes on Philadelphia, who have lost four of their last five contests and have the last placed powerplay in the NHL at 13.2%.
Cernak was a surprise scratch for Thursday's game, with the team not announcing his absence prior to warmups. Calvin de Haan will play in Cernak's place.
Despite struggling recently, Vasilevskiy will return to the crease for the sixth straight game on Thursday. The Vezina-winning netminder has allowed 10 goals across his last two games (0-2-0), posting a horrendous .800 SV%. That said, Vasilevskiy and the Lightning have a favourable matchup on Thursday night as they are -191 home favourites against one of the league's lowest-scoring teams, the Washington Capitals (2.48 GF / GP).
Despite struggling recently, Vasilevskiy will return to the crease for the sixth straight game on Thursday. The Vezina-winning netminder has allowed 10 goals across his last two games (0-2-0), posting a horrendous .800 SV%. That said, Vasilevskiy and the Lightning have a favourable matchup on Thursday night as they are -191 home favourites against one of the league's lowest-scoring teams, the Washington Capitals (2.48 GF / GP).
Vasilevskiy will start for the fifth straight game when he tends the twine on Monday night. The All-Star netminder is coming off a forgettable performance in which he allowed six goals on 22 shots (.727 SV%) in a 9-2 loss to the Florida Panthers on Saturday. Saturday marked the third time Vasilevskiy has allowed six goals this season. He followed up the previous two ugly performances with wins, allowing two goals in one and recording a shutout in the other.
Paul was limited to only 9:37 time-on-ice in Thursday's 6-3 win over the Colorado Avalanche before exiting the game with an undisclosed injury and is expected to be a game-time decision on Saturday in Florida after also missing practice on Friday. Before his injury, Paul had four points (2G / 2A) in his last five games.
Guentzel left Wednesday's contest vs. Florida late in the third period after 18:30 TOI due to an upper-body injury and will now miss up to four weeks after being placed on the Injured Reserve on Thursday. The 29-year-old was one of the Penguins' top trade pieces coming into the March deadline so this is a massive loss for the team. He is currently tied for the Penguins' lead in points with 52 (22G/30A) in 50 games played this season.
Vasilevskiy will start for the third straight game on Thursday against the Colorado Avalanche, a repeat of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final. The 29-year-old Vasilevskiy has been extremely consistent lately, allowing three or fewer goals in 11 straight (9-2-0), posting a solid .917 SV%. Tampa Bay is a slight -109 home favourite against a Colorado club that snapped a four-game losing streak on Tuesday with a 6-3 win over the Washington Capitals.
Guentzel left Wednesday's contest vs. Florida late in the third period after 18:30 TOI due to an upper-body injury and is being evaluated post-game. The 29-year-old is one of the Penguins' top trade pieces coming into the March deadline and will hope to have him back as they are in the middle of a back-to-back with a game on Thursday. He is currently tied for the team lead in points with 52 (22G/30A) in 50 games played this season.
Vasilevskiy will start for the seventh time in the last eight games when the Lightning face off against the Boston Bruins on Tuesday night. Vasilevskiy saved 33 of 35 shots (.943 SV%) in his last outing and has won four of his last five starts (4-1-0). That said, Vasilevskiy allowed six goals on 25 shots (.760 SV%) the last time he faced off against the Bruins and, as such, Tampa Bay is a +136 road underdog.
The Lightning will turn to Johansson on Thursday for the tail-end of their back-to-back after starter Andrei Vasilevskiy got the nod against the Rangers on Wednesday. Johansson has not appeared in a game since January 20th, when he stopped 26 of the 27 shots he faced enroute to a 3-1 victory over the Sabres. It was one of the better starts of the season for the 28-year-old netminder, who owns an .894 SV% and a 3.34 GAA across 22 games with the Lightning.
Tampa Bay returns to the ice from the All-Star break on Wednesday and will turn to Vasilevskiy between the pipes for his fifth straight start. The 29-year-old Vasilevskiy has won seven of his last eight and three in a row, his most consistent stretch of wins this season. Despite the victories, Vasilevskiy has been unsensational, allowing three goals in each of his last three games and posting a pedestrian .882 SV%. The Lightning are +112 road underdogs on Wednesday against the New York Rangers.
