McDonagh will play for the first time since February 7th and will make his Tampa Bay debut vs. the Canadiens. McDonagh had 26 points (2G / 24A) in 49 games with the Rangers before he was traded to the Lightning at the trade deadline. He will likely replace Andrej Sustr in the lineup today.

McDonagh shedded his no-contact sweater and was a full participant in Friday’s practice and could make his debut vs. the Canadiens this afternoon. Because of the early start there will be no morning skate, so expect head coach Jon Cooper to update McDonagh’s status around 11 p.m. ET.

Vasilevskiy allowed four goals on 49 shots in the Lightning’s overtime win over the Panthers on Tuesday. Vasilevskiy has won two in a row despite allowing a combined 10 goals, but faced a whopping 92 shots in those two games. He will face a Rangers team that has torn it down—Vasilevskiy is 22-4-2 with a 2.66 GAA and .915 SV% on home ice.

Vasilevskiy allowed six goals on 43 shots in the Lightning’s win shootout win over the Flyers on Saturday. It is rare that a goalie who allows six goals can be considered as one of the three stars, but that was the case on Saturday afternoon. Vasilevskiy has won four of his last five starts while allowing a combined 16 goals on 176 shots (.909 SV%). He has gone 2-1-0 with a 4.39 GAA and .879 SV% vs. the Panthers this season.

Kucherov missed the last two games with an upper-body injury but will draw back in vs. the Flyers this afternoon. Kucherov will be back on a line with Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn for the matinee—he has 33 goals and 49 assists (82 points) in 63 games this season.

Vasilevskiy allowed two goals on 34 shots in the Lightning’s loss to Buffalo on Wednesday. It was a surprising loss for Vasilevskiy, who will be back in net this afternoon after getting Thursday night off. Vasilevskiy finished February at 8-3-1 with a 2.89 GAA and .916 SV%. He stopped 36 of 37 shots i a 5-1 win in Philadelphia in their last meeting.

Vasilevskiy allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Lightning’s win over the Maple Leafs on Monday. Vasilevskiy has won three in a row and four of his last five starts while posting a 2.54 GAA and .922 SV%. It’s surprising that Vasilevskiy will get the front-end of the back-to-back, but he’s a must-start vs. the visiting Sabres.

McDonagh was acquired in a blockbuster trade on Monday, but has been sidelined since February 7th and will miss at least the next three games. Monitor his status heading into next Tuesday’s game vs. the Panthers.

Kucherov was hurt in Monday’s game vs. the Maple Leafs and is unlikely to play tonight. Kucherov did not take part in the morning skate and head coach Jon Cooper said that Kucherov is “up in the air but leaning toward doubtful.” Expect the newly acquired J.T. Miller to replace Kucherov in the lineup.

Vasilevskiy allowed three goals on 30 shots in the Lightning’s win over the Maple Leafs on Monday. Vasilevskiy has won three in a row and four of his last five starts while posting a 2.54 GAA and .922 SV%. It’s surprising that Vasilevskiy will get the front-end of the back-to-back, but he’s a must-start vs. the visiting Sabres.

McDonagh has missed the last nine games with an upper-body injury but is expected to be back in the near future. His 50th game of the season will come in a Lightning uniform, but his fantasy value may actually take a hit because he will probably see less minutes behind Victor Hedman. McDonagh boosts the Lightning’s blueline a lot and make them and solidify them as Stanley Cup favourites.

Vasilevskiy allowed three goals on 32 shots in the Lightning’s win in Montreal on Saturday. Vasilevskiy has won three of his last four starts while posting a 2.48 GAA and .926 SV%. Tonight he will make his third start vs. the Maple Leafs of the season—he is 1-1-0 with a 2.03 GAA and .923 SV% in the first two meetings.

Vasilevskiy turned away 35 of the 37 shots he faced in Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over the Capitals. He now boasts a remarkable 35-12-2 record on the year with a .928 SV% to boot. He draws another excellent matchup tonight against the Canadiens.

Vasilevskiy turned away 35 of the 37 shots he faced in Tuesday’s 4-2 victory over the Capitals. He now boasts a remarkable 35-12-2 record on the year with a .928 SV% to boot. He draws another excellent matchup tonight against the Canadiens.

Vasilevskiy had a rough go on Sunday, allowing four goals on 28 shots in the Lightning’s 4-3 loss to the Devils. It was a rare off-night in what’s been a stellar season for Vasilevskiy, who boasts a 34-12-2 record and a .927 SV% on the year. He draws a tough matchup tonight in Washington.

Vasilevskiy was dominant in Thursday’s 4-1 win over the Red Wings, stopping 38 of the 39 shots he faced. He’s been on quite a roll recently, going 7-2 with a .934 SV% over his last nine starts. He draws an excellent matchup tonight at home against the Devils.

With Alexandar Georgiev expected to be out with the flu, Halverson has been called up to back up Henrik Lundqvist in Ottawa tomorrow.