Tonight at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Columbus Blue Jackets (42-31-7, 91 points) and Tampa Bay Lightning (44-27-9, 97 points faceoff live from the Tampa Bay Times Forum for the third and final meeting against each other this season. The game can be live streamed here. Columbus fans can hear all of the action on 97.1 The Fan while Tampa Bay fans can do the same on WQAM 970.
Both teams have clinched a berth into the Stanley Cup Playoffs but this game still has postseason implications. Columbus has won three straight and is looking to jump the Philadelphia Flyers in the Metropolitan Division while Tampa Bay has won two in a row and can jump the Montreal Canadiens for second in the Atlantic.
The Blue Jackets have taken both games so far from the Lightning, notching a 1-0 win on Dec. 3 and a 3-2 victory on Jan. 13, with both games taking place in Columbus.
The Lightning continues to be without goaltender Ben Bishop (upper-body) and will again turn to Anders Lindback between the pipes.
"Every shot I get it feels like I'm getting more in the rhythm of the game," Lindback told NHL.com. "You see it differently than when you only play once in a while."
Lindback is 7-12-2 with a 3.05 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage. He'll likely be opposed by Sergei Bobrovsky, who is 31-20-5 with a 2.39 GAA and a .922 save percentage.
The Blue Jackets have big aspirations after making the playoffs and will look to eclipse the franchise-record of 92 points established in 2008-09.
"It's a great accomplishment for our team," coach Todd Richards said Wednesday per NHL.com. "But to me it's just the first step. When we set out back in September, the first thing we talked about was winning the Stanley Cup, but you've got to make the playoffs."
Columbus has been paced by Ryan Johansen, who has 60 points off of 32 goals and 28 assists while James Wisniewski has seven tallies and 43 helpers for 50 points and Brandon Dubinsky has lit the lamp 16 times while adding 33 assists for 49 points.
Valtteri Filppula paces Tampa Bay with 58 points off of 25 goals and 33 assists while Ondrej Palat also has 58 points off of 22 tallies and 36 helpers and Victor Hedman has found the twine 13 times while adding 42 assists for 55 points.
There will be no shortage of Stanley Cup Playoff implications when the puck drops on the Blue Jackets and the Lightning at the Tampa Bay Times Forum tonight.
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