Game Preview: Carolina Hurricanes @ Tampa Bay Lightning

After a disappointing loss to the Florida Panthers, the Carolina Hurricanes look to bounce back quickly. Their brief road trip heads over to Tampa as they take on the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Lightning don’t look exactly as dominant as they have in seasons past, but they’re still a formidable opponent. They currently sit second in the Atlantic Division, and this despite missing goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy for the foreseeable future. The Lightning are looking to rebound after their own frustrating loss earlier this week to the Chicago Blackhawks. They fell behind early and never were able to catch back up to the Blackhawks and Connor Bedard, who recorded a four-point game.

One aspect of the Hurricanes game that the team may wish to focus on is the penalty kill. The Lightning currently have the number three power play in the league. They have scored at least one power play goal in 11 of their 14 games this season. The Hurricanes have struggled on the penalty kill, something unusual for this team in recent years. As one of the league’s more frequently penalized teams — their 67 penalties taken is fifth-most in the league — an emphasis on staying out of the box would be beneficial.

Game Notes

• This is the second of three meetings between the Hurricanes and Lightning. The teams previously met on October 24, where the Lightning turned in a 3-0 win. The final regular-season matchup will be on November 24 in Raleigh.
• Martin Necas and Stefan Noesen will both skate in their 300th NHL game tonight.
• Stefan Noesen is two points away from 100 career NHL points.
• Brady Skjei is two points away from 100 points with the Hurricanes.
• Defenseman Phil Myers was called up earlier this week from the Syracuse Crunch, the Lightning’s AHL affiliate. Myers most recently practiced as an extra skater but may wind up drawing into the lineup.