Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Toronto Maple Leafs (20-13-3, 43 points) and Tampa Bay Lightning (22-11-4, 48 points) take the ice for the second of four meetings this season live from the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay. The game can be live streamed here. Toronto fans can hear all of the action on TSN 1050 while Tampa Bay fans can do the same on WDAE 620.
Toronto has lost two of its last three and four of five overall as it plays its second game in Florida in as many nights and the second match of a five-game road trip. Tampa Bay has won two straight games and looks to close out this homestand with a perfect 3-0 mark.
The Maple Leafs own the top wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference while the Lightning are on top of the Atlantic Division entering tonight. Toronto notched a 5-2 victory over Tampa Bay the last time these two teams met on Nov. 20.
The Maple Leafs are coming off of a 6-4 loss to the Florida Panthers on Sunday and with Jonathan Bernier (flu-like symptoms) likely sidelined, Toronto will be turning to James Reimer tonight.
"We have all the confidence in the world in James Reimer," assistant coach Steve Spott told NHL.com. "We have to play better in front of him. We have to play better in front of both our goalies."
Reimer is 6-5-0 this season with a 3.42 goals-against average and a .902 save percentage thus far this season.
The Lightning are likely to counter with Ben Bishop in the crease and he is 17-6-2 with a 2.30 GAA and a .915 save percentage thus far this season.
The Lightning are coming off of a 2-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Saturday and though they've been surging, Steven Stamkos hasn't notched a point in three games.
"I try to focus on the little things so we can win and that means I may take a hit with my offensive production," Stamkos said per NHL.com. "It's nice to get the awards and the Rocket Richard [Award] and stuff like that, but you want to win in the end."
Despite his lack of production lately, Stamkos is second on Tampa Bay with 36 points and ranks fourth in the NHL with 19 points.
Tyler Johnson has a team-best 37 points by way of lighting the lamp 13 times and adding 24 assists -- which ranks tied for the NHL lead. Nikita Kucherov (15-19--34) has also been productive.
Toronto counters with an offense that is paced by Phil Kessel, who leads the team with 38 points off of 17 goals and 21 assists. James van Riemsdyk is second on the team with 34 points off of 16 markers and 18 helpers while Tyler Bozak has lit the lamp 13 times and added 16 helpers for 29 points.
Two division rivals go head-to-head when the lights come up on the Maple Leafs and Lightning tonight at the Amalie Arena in Tampa Bay.
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.