Flames at Lightning Game Preview:

Game Fifty-eight: Calgary Flames (28-21-8) at Tampa Bay Lightning (33-20-4)

Time: 7:00 PM EST

Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa

TV/Stream/Radio: FDSNSUN, SN, ESPN+, 102.5 FM, Lightning App

Odds: Lightning -218

Know the Opponents: Flames Nation

The Tampa Bay Lightning take to the ice tonight with a chance to finish off their three-game home stand with the full complement of six points, and run their overall winning streak to seven games. All they have to do is take down the Calgary Flames. On paper, the Lightning have the advantage, but the Flames have bounced back from a three-game losing streak to win their last two, including a strong outing their last time out where they took down the Washington Capitals, 3-1.

As for the Bolts, they’ve come out of the long break without missing a beat, beating Seattle and Edmonton by matching 4-1 scores. Even the way they’ve gone about picking up the victories was similar as they relied on special teams, depth scoring, and the best players being the best players. Oh yeah, they’ve also enjoyed a nice run of games by a guy named Andrei Vasilevskiy.

While his overall season stats aren’t quite up to Vezina Finalist levels just yet, his recent stretch of play has been some of the best of his career. In his last eight starts he is 7-0-1 with a .941 SV%, 1.88 GAA, and 7.99 GSAx. And these haven’t been BarcaLounger Games, either. Over that stretch of play he’s faced 253 shots (the most in the NHL) and made 238 saves (also the most in the NHL). He’s also faced 57 high-danger shots (second most) over that time frame. While he’s allowed 8 high-danger goals, his .860 HDSV% is a respectable ninth in the league.

Oddly enough, the Lightning are allowing more chances during their winning streak than they did through January when they were stumbling their way through a series of losses. From December 23rd to January 29th they went 8-9-1 but allowed just 29.03 Shots/60, 26.60 Scoring Chances Against/60, and 9.54 High-Danger Chances Against/60 at 5v5. From January 30th to today those numbers are 32.14 SA/60, 28.37 SCA/60, and 11.73 HDCA/60.

More shots, and more dangerous chances have been allowed, but Vasilevskiy has shut the door when he’s needed to. He has always preferred higher volumes of shots, and of late, his teammates have been able to make sure they’re coming from the perimeter and he’s not getting screened that much. In his last outing, the Oilers put 24 shots on him, but he didn’t really have to work too much to see them, and for the most part just deflected them out of harm’s way with his blocker.

If the Lightning can keep getting that type of performance in front of him, and his teammates can get back to preventing the high-danger chances like they were early in the season, this team could make a little noise in the playoffs. They have two lines that can score at 5v5, and they’re starting to get a few signs of life from the bottom-six as well.

It’s also helped that they’re healthy. Matt Tomkins was returned to Syracuse on Wednesday, a sign that Jonas Johansson is ready to resume his role as back-up goaltender. If that is the case, the Lightning won’t have anyone missing from the line-up due to injury since early December. We’ll see if they can keep the good times rolling now that they’re playing with the line-up Coach Cooper conceived of having when the season began.

The Flames have been stuck in a bit of a rut lately, going 4-5-1 in their last ten games, and will throw a line-up on the ice that is a little different than the last time the two teams met, an 8-3 Lightning win in December. Joel Farabee and Morgan Frost were added in a trade, and defenseman Joel Hanley was added off of waivers.

Tonight’s game is the second of a six-game east coast swing for Calgary (Motownphilly back again/ Doin’ a little east coast swing/ Boyz II Men going off/ Not too hard, not too soft) and it’s a pretty important one for them as they are currently clinging to the second wild card spot with a one-point lead over Vancouver. They are a team that plays tight defense and have benefited from a nice one-two combination in net with Dustin Wolf and Dan Vladar.

If the Lightning want to keep the good times rolling, they’re going to have to stay patient and control the front of the nets. We’ve seen them due it on a consistent basis of late, but now is not the time to let up, even for a minute.

Potential Lines

Tampa Bay Lightning

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Calgary Flames

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