Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins game thread

The flip-side of back-to-back games this weekend, the Lightning face the Penguins at Consol Energy Center.

A potent brew; Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins preview

The Lightning finish off their weekend road-trip with the Penguins in Pittsburgh. The Penguins may be without Evgeni Malkin tonight, but that doesn't stop the offensive explosiveness that they boast... Nor the explosiveness fo the Lightning for that matter.

Three questions about the Pittsburgh Penguins for SB Nation's PensBurgh

It's quick and challenging turn-around for the Lightning this weekend as they are in Pittsburgh tonight to face the Penguins. The Pens are near the top of the Eastern Conference, but reeling from the uncertainty around Hart Trophy winner Evgeni Malkin who crashed hard into the boards in the game Friday vs the Panthers. We checked in with SBNations' PensBurgh and the blog's Managing Editor Hooks Orpik to see what those forward lines might look like in his absence, whether goalie Tomas Vokoun was a good add, and if it's true that Dan Bylsma's job on the line this season.

Game 17: Tampa Bay Lightning at Carolina Hurricanes

The Lightning bounced back from losing to the Boston Bruins to leapfrog the Hurricanes in the standings for first in the SE Division.

Tampa Bay Lightning at Carolina Hurricanes game thread

Two backup goalies square off with the division lead on the line. Can Tampa Bay solve the surprisingly-well playing Dan Ellis? Will the battered Carolina Hurricanes survive the Lightning? Will either team get blinded while looking ahead to their contests tomorrow? We'll find out together here on the Raw Charge game thread.

Tampa Bay Lightning lineup remains the same versus Hurricanes; Keith Aulie out, Mathieu Garon in

The Tampa Bay Lightning roster will remain the same from Thursday's game against the Bruins, with defenseman Marc-Andre Bergeron inserted into the lineup and Keith Aulie sitting, according to Joe Smith (sitting in for Damian Cristodero on the @LightningTimes Twitter account) from the Tampa Bay Times.

Aulie has missed two of the past three Lightning games due to illness. According to Smith in a subsequent message, Aulie will likely find his way back into the lineup against the Pittsburgh Penguins tomorrow at Consol Energy Center in Pittsburgh.

Meanwhile, the starter for the Lightning in goal has now been named: it'll be a battle of the backups in Raleigh as Mathieu Garon will make his second start of the season against Carolina. It was already announced Dan Ellis would start for the Canes. Garon started on January 22^nd (the Lightning's third game of the season) and stopped 35 of 36 shots on his way to a 4-1 Lightning victory.

Three questions about the Carolina Hurricanes for SB Nation's Canes Country

This is a big showdown in Raleigh tonight between the two teams vying for the top spot in the Southeast Division. The Lightning took the first match back in January. Tonight the Bolts return eager to re-claim the 3rd seed in the East. We checked in with Canes Country's Brian LeBlanc this morning to ask about Head Coach Kirk Muller's performance in this his second year on the job, whether Semin will become a part of the club's long term plans, and why 20-year-old defenseman Justin Faulk is a game changer.

The storm; Tampa Bay Lightning at Carolina Hurricanes preview

Lightning, Hurricanes, the Southeast Division lead... Indeed, a storm is brewing in Raleigh, North Carolina as the two teams square off Saturday evening.