Game #23
Time: 9:00 PM EST
Location: Mullett Arena
Broadcast/Streaming: BSSUN, ESPN+, SCRIPPS
Opponent’s Site: Five For Howling
Preview
Coming off a tough loss in Colorado last night, the Lightning have to be wary of a feisty Arizona Coyotes team that is a lot tougher to play against than they have been over the last few years. Through 20 games, their season has a ring of symmetry to it. They have nine wins and nine regulation losses. They have four wins and four losses at home and five wins and five regulation losses on the road. They’ve averaged 3.15 goals per game while giving up 3.15 goals per game. They have scored 63 goals and allowed 63 goals (two shootout wins account for the 65 goals total below).
They are as Even Steven a hockey club as we’ve seen for a long time. While they are currently out of a playoff spot, they are hanging around a just a point out of the wild card with games in hand over the teams currently holding those spots. So the Bolts can’t take them lightly tonight.
After a three-game losing streak where they struggled to keep the puck out of the net (15 goals allowed) they bounced back with a 2-0 shutout of Vegas. Old friend Connor Ingram made 34 saves in the win and he will be in net against his old franchise tonight. He had the best game of his career last year against the Lightning as he made 47 saves in a 1-0 shootout win in February. So you know he’ll be fired up to go tonight.
Offensively, Lawson Crouse has 10 goals in 19 games while Clayton Keller has a team-leading 19 points (8 goals, 11 assists) in 20 games. Rookie Logan Cooley is keeping his name in the Calder Trophy race with 13 points (2 goals, 11 assists) in 20 games. They are starting to build some depth on this team, which makes them even more dangerous.
As for the Lightning, they didn’t play poorly against Colorado, they just couldn’t put the puck in the net. They generated enough shots and chances to score two or three goals, but just weren’t able to. If they play with similar pressure tonight, there should be a different outcome.
Expect Jonas Johansson, who spent a couple of weeks in 2022 with the Coyotes after they claimed him on waivers, to make his first start as a back-up, a role that can take some adjusting to after spending the first 20 games as the number one starter. He’ll have to make sure he can keep his focus after not playing on a regular basis.
Something else to keep an eye on will be if Alex Barre-Boulet cycles back into the line-up after being scratched for the last four games.
Stats Match-up
| Game #23 | Tampa Bay Lightning | Arizona Coyotes |
| Overall Record | 10-7-5 | 9-9-2 |
| Home Record | 6-2-3 | 4-4-0 |
| Road Record | 4-5-2 | 5-5-2 |
| Goals For | 79 | 65 |
| Goals Against | 78 | 63 |
| xGF | 73.84 | 60.54 |
| xGA | 70.79 | 63.91 |
| Power Play | 34.7% | 25.4% |
| Penalty Kill | 84.4% | 80.8% |
Lines
Tampa Bay Lightning Projected Lines
Forwards
Brandon Hagel – Brayden Point – Nikita Kucherov
Steven Stamkos – Anthony Cirelli – Mikey Eyssimont
Tanner Jeannot – Nick Paul – Tyler Motte
Cole Koepke – Luke Glendening – Austin Watson
Defenders
Victor Hedman – Nick Perbix
Mikhail Sergachev – Erik Cernak
Calvin de Haan – Darren Raddysh
Goalies
Jonas Johansson
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Arizona Coyotes Projected Lines
Forwards
Clayton Keller – Logan Cooley – Nick Schmaltz
Matias Maccelli – Nick Bjugstad – Lawson Crouse
Michael Carcone – Alexander Kerfoot – Jason Zucker
Liam O’Brien – Travis Boyd – Milos Kelemen
Defenders
J.J. Moser – Sean Durzi
Troy Stecher – Michael Kesselring
Vladislav Kolyachonok – Josh Brown
Goalies
Connor Ingram
Karel Vejmekla
Question of the Night
Who wins the battle of their former teams? Connor Ingram or Jonas Johansson?
