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Tampa Bay Lightning at Nashville Predators: GAME 10
Time: 8:00 pm Eastern Time
Location: Bridgestone Arena
Broadcast/Streaming: Fox SUN
Opponent SBNation Site: On the Forecheck
Preview:
The Tampa Bay Lightning open up their road trip with the first back-to-back games of the season against the Nashville Predators. It’s not the first meeting between two teams this season as they already played against each other about a week ago at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
Over the last week things went a little bit differently for both teams: while the Lightning have swept the Detroit Red Wings in their short series, the Preds played against another leader of the Central Division – the Florida Panthers, winning the first game in overtime after a very high-scoring three periods and losing the second one on Friday night.
After those games the Lightning took the lead in the division, outstripping the Panthers by one point, although Florida still has one game in hand. On the other hand the Predators weren’t able to leave the bottom of the standings and remained in seventh place. With the Chicago Blackhawks and the Columbus Blue Jackets they will likely form a group of teams, which will be fighting for the last playoff spot in if some of the leading teams stumble.
Speaking of the rosters, the Bolts will likely run the same combination of players as in two previous games against the Red Wings. It seems like Alex Volkov has lost his spot for now, despite Mitchell Stephens off of the roster due to injury.
According to Joe Cooper, Curtis McElhinney will finally have a chance to start during the back-to-back in Nashville, however without specifying which of the two games.
Jon Cooper said Vasilevskiy and McElhinney will split the back-to-back in Nashville. I tried to get him to share which goalie will get which game, but he wouldn't bite. So, as Cooper likes to say, tune in Monday at 8pm to find out. #Bolts #TBLvsNSH
— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) February 7, 2021
Since the last game against the Bolts, Calle Jarnkrok returned to the line-up, but the Predators can’t count on Ryan Johansen, who is day-to-day with an upper body injury. Brad Richardson has also been missing since the first game against the Lightning, just like Luke Kunin, although Kunin has attended a practice yesterday.
Luke Kunin (lower-body, day-to-day) is on the ice for #Preds practice in Nashville. Ryan Johansen (upper-body, day-to-day) is absent. Mikael Granlund is also absent. Sean Malone, recalled yesterday to the taxi squad, is on the ice.
— Brooks Bratten (@brooksbratten) February 7, 2021
Starting tonight, the Lightning will play seven of their next eight games on the road, returning to home just for a couple of days on February 15 for a game against the Panthers.
Tampa Bay Lightning Lines
Forwards
Ondrej Palat - Brayden Point - Steven Stamkos
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - Tyler Johnson
Blake Coleman - Yanni Gourde - Barclay Goodrow
Pat Maroon - Mathieu Joseph - Alex Volkov
Defense
Victor Hedman - Jan Rutta
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev - Luke Schenn
Goalies
Curtis McElhinney
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Updated after morning press conference where Coach Cooper confirmed McElhinney is starting and Volkov is back in the line-up.
Nashville Predators Lines
Forwards
Filip Forsberg - Matt Duchene - Mikael Granlund
Rocco Grimaldi - Calle Jarnkrok - Viktor Arvidsson
Nick Cousins - Erik Haula - Eeli Tolvanen
Yakov Trenin - Colton Sissons - Mathieu Olivier
Defense
Roman Josi - Ryan Ellis
Mattias Ekholm - Dante Fabbro
Mark Borowiecki - Matt Benning
Goalies
Juuse Saros
Pekka Rinne