Florida: 12-6-3 (27PTS)
Tampa Bay: 9-9-2 (20PTS)
Season Series: 2-0-1
Game Time: 7:30 PM EST
Television: Fox Sports Florida, SUN Sports
Radio: 560 WQAM
The Lightning are back for their final game in Sunrise this season. It’s hard to believe, but we’ve quickly blown through all the Lightning-Panthers games of the season, with only one February game in Tampa remaining after this weekend. The Panthers are off to a good start once again, taking points in all three games. The Panthers need to not take this for granted, however, as the Lightning are a good team that is currently underachieving. They’ll be feeling the sting of a 7-1 loss to the Maple Leafs on Tuesday and will be eager to pick up as many points as they can in these two games.
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Lightning vs Panthers coverage at SB Nation.
TSN Preview.
LBC Game Thread will open 30 minutes prior to puck drop.
News and Notes
Last meeting
The Lightning beat the Panthers 4-3 in a shootout, one of three shootout losses in a row for the Cats. Former Panther Dominic Moore had the game winner in the shootout.
Last game
The Cats hosted the Rangers on Wednesday night, winning 2-1 and moving up to second in the Eastern Conference.
Lineup
Dmitry Kulikov missed Wednesday’s game but is expected back this weekend. Keaton Ellerby took his place alongside Mike Weaver while Erik Gudbranson was paired up with Mike Weaver. Jacob Markstrom remains in the lineup in place of Scott Clemmensen. Head coach Kevin Dineen mixed the lines up a little in the last game to try to get some scoring from the bottom three forward lines. There weren’t any goals, but the lines all had scoring chances.
Injuries
- F Mikael Samuelsson (rehab from abdominal surgery), 10/24, week to week
- F Scottie Upshall (hip), 11/10, 6 to 8 weeks
- F Matt Bradley (undisclosed), 11/16, 1 week
- F Marcel Goc (undisclosed), 11/16, day to day
- G Scott Clemmensen (undisclosed soreness), 11/19, unknown
- D Dmitry Kulikov (lower body injury), 11/23, day to day
Healthy Scratches
- D Keaton Ellerby OR
- D Erik Gudbranson
Starting goaltenders:
All four goalies are likely to play at some point over the course of the home-and-home. Panthers coach Kevin Dineen has already said that Jacob Markstrom will start one of the two games this weekend, but had not specified which one. Jose Theodore is 16-12-3-0 against the Lightning with a 2.53 GAA and .915 save percentage. Scott Clemmensen is 2-1-0 with a 2.30 GAA and .922 save percentage. Lightning starter Dwayne Roloson is 8-6-1 against the Panthers with a 2.73 GAA and .915 save percentage. Backup Mathieu Garon is 2-2-1-1 with a 2.47 GAA and .918 save percentage.
Lines
Forwards
- Fleischmann-Weiss-Versteeg
- Bergenheim-Kopecky-Kennedy
- Sturm-Santorelli-Repik
- Dadonov-Matthias-Skille
Defense
- Campbell-Garrison
- Jovanovski-Gudbranson/Ellerby
- Kulikov-Weaver