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Nashville Predators at Tampa Bay Lightning: GAME #78
Time: 7:00 pm Eastern Time
Location: Amalie Arena
Broadcast/Streaming: BSSUN, NHLN
Opponent SBNation Site: On The Forecheck
The Bolts unexpectedly didn’t have Brayden Point in Thursday night’s shellacking of Toronto after he was announced to be day-to-day with an undisclosed lower body injury shortly before warmups. We’ll see if he is able to go after morning skate, as he was out there with his teammates. There was optimism that he would be able to go on Saturday, so his injury just needed a couple extra days.
Jon Cooper said they’re hoping Brayden Point can be back Saturday. So good news for @TBLightning on him
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) April 22, 2022
#Bolts are making their way out of the locker room for morning skate and Brayden Point is on the ice.#NSHvsTBL
— Chris Krenn (@Chris_Krenn) April 23, 2022
Nashville is currently in the first wild card spot in the West, fighting for the playoffs with Dallas and Vegas. Vancouver is technically in there as well. The playoff battles in the West are a lot more vigorous late into the season than in the East, mostly because a lot of the best teams in the league (the top-five except Colorado) are in the East.
The last time an eastern conference team that didn't qualify had a higher playoff chance than one that did was November 19. pic.twitter.com/GKQc0zdbdp
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) April 23, 2022
Right now the East is fighting for seeding, while the West is fighting for spots and seeding. It’s a lot more murky over there, especially with Vegas falling off the face of the Earth.
In the West, things are a little more interesting. pic.twitter.com/KjyQeOTBLP
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) April 23, 2022
There are currently no scenarios where anyone clinches a playoff spot or division tonight, although any game for Nashville has big implications for their season. Meanwhile on the Lightning side, they can deal a big blow to the Leafs with a win and make second place in the division, which seemed a little far fetched last week, a real possibility after Thursday. Toronto plays Florida, by the way.
Tampa Bay Lightning Potential Lines
Forwards
Ondrej Palat - Steven Stamkos - Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - Brandon Hagel
Nick Paul - Ross Colton - Corey Perry
Patrick Maroon - Pierre-Edouard Bellemare
OUT: Brayden Point (day-to-day)
Defense
Victor Hedman - Jan Rutta
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev - Zach Bogosian
Cal Foote
Goaltender
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Brian Elliott
Nashville Predators Potential Lines
Forwards
Dylan Nick Cousins - Ryan Johansen - Luke Kunin
Filip Forsberg - Markus Mikael Granlund - Matt Duchene
Yakov Trenin - Colton Sissons - Tanner Jeannot
Eeli Tolvanen - Cody Glass - Dominick Philip Tomasino
Defense
Roman Josi - Dante Fabbro
Mattias Ekholm - William Alexandre Carrier
Mark Borowiecki - Matthew Benning
Goaltender
Juuse Saros
David Rittich