Bryan Burns of the Tampa Bay Lightning tweeted tonight’s Lightning and Nashville Predators lineups for the Lightning’s third preseason game. With most of the junior players returned to their respective teams, many of the Lightning’s NHL regulars are making their preseason debuts at home.
Tonight’s game groups. That #TBLightning lineup tho 👀 👀 pic.twitter.com/Cx6wdJKIaS
— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) September 22, 2017
The Lightning have also announced that they will be streaming the game, and the remaining home preseason games, in the Tampa Bay market on TampaBayLightning.com. The stream will feature Lightning Radio play-by-play legend Dave Mishkin. He’ll be joined by The Chief himself, Bobby Taylor, as the color commentator.
LIGHTNING TO LIVE STREAM REMAINING PRESEASON HOME GAMES
TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning will live stream their two remaining home preseason games, Friday, September 22 versus Nashville (7:30 p.m.) and Sunday, September 24 against Florida (4 p.m.), at TampaBayLightning.com the team announced today. The stream will be free to the public.
The live online broadcast will feature the call from Lightning Radio play-by-play announcer Dave Mishkin, alongside color commentator Bobby “The Chief” Taylor. This marks the first time in franchise history the team will live stream preseason games over the internet. It will only be available inside the Tampa Bay television market.
~BE THE THUNDER~
Steven Stamkos is appearing in his first game for the Lightning since his injury in Detroit on November 11th, 2016. It’ll be his first real game action in over ten months. 15 of the 20 players on the Lightning roster are making their preseason debut. Of the 20 players on the roster, 12 are expected to be with the Lightning to open the season.
The five players on the roster that have already played in the preseason are forwards Brayden Point and Matthew Peca, and defensemen Daniel Walcott, Erik Cernak, and Mikhail Sergachev. Peca is the only player of the five to play both of the first two preseason games. Peca is in a battle for a third-line spot with the Lightning and has recorded an assist.
Update: Bryan Burns has tweeted forward lines from morning skate and Erik Erlendsson has tweeted defensive pairings.
#Bolts morning skate lines:
Point-Stamkos-Kucherov
Killorn-Gourde-Callahan
Palat-Johnson-Kunitz
Yan-Peca-Joseph— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) September 22, 2017
Defensive pairings
Hedman-Thomas
Sergachev-Cernak
Walcott-Spencer#TBLightning— Lightning Insider (@Erik_Erlendsson) September 22, 2017
If I was the coach, this is how I would line up the roster to play tonight.
Chris Kunitz – Steven Stamkos – Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat – Tyler Johnson – Brayden Point
Alex Killorn – Yanni Gourde – Ryan Callahan
Dennis Yan – Matthew Peca – Mathieu Joseph
Victor Hedman – Ben Thomas
Mikhail Sergachev – Erik Cernak
Daniel Walcott – Matthew Spencer
Andrei Vasilevskiy
Connor Ingram
We’ll also be watching for any news on goalie usage. I would be surprised if Vasilevskiy doesn’t start the game. However, it’s possible that like with Peter Budaj on Wednesday in Carolina, Vasilevskiy could play the first two periods with Ingram slotting in for the third period.
