GDT: 53|Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning|Spoilers... It's in Florida. We lose!

[ColePens]

PENGUINS (33-14-5) at LIGHTNING (33-15-5)
7 p.m. ET; SNE, SNO, TVAS, SUN, ATTSN-PT, NHL.TV​

The Game

Andrei Vasilevskiy can record the longest point streak by a goalie in Tampa Bay Lightning history when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins at Amalie Arena on Thursday.

Vasilevskiy will try for a point in his 17th straight game; he's 14-0-2 with a 2.10 goals-against average, .930 save percentage and two shutouts in his past 16 starts. He is tied with Nikolai Khabibulin, who was 12-0 with four ties for the Lightning from Feb. 15-April 2, 2003.

Tampa Bay, in second place in the Atlantic Division, seeks its fifth straight victory and eighth in a row at home. The Lightning are 16-2-1 in their past 19 games overall.

The Penguins, in second place in the Metropolitan Division, seek their third consecutive win. They're 8-2-0 in their past 10 games and 16-4-1 in their past 21.

Goalie Matt Murray is expected to start and will try to win for the seventh straight time; he's 6-0-0 with a 2.63 GAA and .922 save percentage in his past six starts.
Penguins at Lightning preview



Penguins projected lineup

Jared McCann -- Sidney Crosby -- Dominik Simon
Bryan Rust -- Evgeni Malkin -- Patric Hornqvist
Zach Aston-Reese -- Teddy Blueger -- Brandon Tanev
Andrew Agozzino -- Sam Lafferty -- Anthony Angello

Jack Johnson -- Kris Letang
Marcus Pettersson -- John Marino
Chad Ruhwedel -- Justin Schultz

Matt Murray
Tristan Jarry

Scratched: Juuso Riikola, Alex Galchenyuk
Injured: Nick Bjugstad (lower body), Dominik Kahun (concussion), Jake Guentzel (upper body), Brian Dumoulin (lower body)




Lightning projected lineup

Steven Stamkos -- Brayden Point -- Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat -- Anthony Cirelli -- Tyler Johnson
Alex Killorn -- Cedric Paquette -- Pat Maroon
Carter Verhaeghe -- Mitchell Stephens -- Yanni Gourde

Victor Hedman -- Mikhail Sergachev
Ryan McDonagh -- Erik Cernak
Braydon Coburn -- Kevin Shattenkirk

Andrei Vasilevskiy
Curtis McElhinney

Scratched: Luke Schenn
Injured: Jan Rutta (lower body)

Click to read more...

 

[ColePens]

Oh you bet your sweet ass I chose Rusty's Game 7 goals

 

[Andy99]

That is one vomitous lineup from the Pens with all sorts of players playing out of their comfort zones...they’re either going to flop embarrassingly or lull the Lightning into such a sense of security that they eke out a narrow win...

 

[Ginger Papa]

Nice GDT @ColePens .

Anti-Lightning GIF snowman

​

As for Vasilevskiy’s streak....

 

[fragmag]

Oh you bet your sweet ass I chose Rusty's Game 7 goals

Didn't he have 2 that game?

 

[Ugene Magic]

Great GDT, Cole!

Let's get electrified...

 

[ColePens]

Didn't he have 2 that game?

Watch the vid Both are there.

 

[Ryder71]

I believe the Pens are 17-6-2 under Sully when they've had three or more days off between games.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I wish we were playing Blender instead of Agozzino.

 

[Ginger Papa]

Didn't he have 2 that game?

​

 

[Will Hunting]

This brutal stretch of tough games continues and just cant stop for us. Our luck will stop sooner than later tho.

 

[Andy99]

I believe the Pens are 17-6-2 under Sully when they've had three or more days off between games.

I hope that trend counteracts this putrid one...

 

[ColePens]

I wish we were playing Blender instead of Agozzino.

I keep saying it... dude was actually an okay 4th liner. I liked how he played.

 

[Andy99]

I wish we were playing Blender instead of Agozzino.

One has too many zzzzz in his name and the other is “bland”...neither of them are going to be difference makers...lol

 

[Empoleon8771]

If Sullivan is scratching Galchenyuk for Agozzino without a trade being in the works, I'm going to be beside myself. It has to be a trade though, because even if Sullivan doesn't like Galchenyuk, it's absolutely insane to think he'd do something as dumb as scratch him for Agozzino.

 

[Flying Dego]

I'm concerned MM is gonna get caved tonight. Not of his own accord...our lineup is vomit inducing and if we lose our lucky leprechaun. Yikes.

I'm pessimistic by nature and would be glad to be wrong for this one.

 

[Dipsy Doodle]

I keep saying it... dude was actually an okay 4th liner. I liked how he played.

I hereby induct Blandisi into Soggy Biscuit and ColePens' Hall of Underappreciated Penguins 4th Liners.

Previous inductees include Joe Vitale and Mike Zigomanis.

 

[Randy Butternubs]

I'll be drinking tonight!

 

[66-30-33]

Hopefully Chucky is gone in a Zucker trade.

 

[SouthGeorge]

I'm concerned MM is gonna get caved tonight. Not of his own accord...our lineup is vomit inducing and if we lose our lucky leprechaun. Yikes.

I'm pessimistic by nature and would be glad to be wrong for this one.

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

If Sullivan is scratching Galchenyuk for Agozzino without a trade being in the works, I'm going to be beside myself. It has to be a trade though, because even if Sullivan doesn't like Galchenyuk, it's absolutely insane to think he'd do something as dumb as scratch him for Agozzino.

You make it sound like Sullivan doesn't do some strange things when he doesn't have faith in a player.

*cough*Ruhwedel on LD instead of Riikola*cough*

 

[Sidney the Kidney]

In any case, I get to watch this one tonight as it's on Sportsnet. Hopefully the Pens don't make me regret these next 3 hours of my life.

 

[Flying Dego]

Letang will be responsible for all of our goals against tonight. Is that more in line with what you want to hear?

 

[Ugene Magic]

If they're willing to put Rust at LW I don't know how you can't slot Gally on line 4 RW.

It's like, head banging time...


"I'm just a poor boy, nobody loves me."

 

[SouthGeorge]

Letang will be responsible for all of our goals against tonight. Is that more in line with what you want to hear?

It's more likely. MM is going to have a great game.