Final
Bolts shoot for perfect homestand against Leafs
Dec 29, 2014 - 4:02 PM (SportsNetwork.com) - The Tampa Bay Lightning hope to finish off a three-game homestand perfect on Monday night when they play host to the Toronto Maple Leafs.In winning the first two games of this residency, the Lightning have won back- to-back contests for the first time since a four-game run from Nov. 22-Dec. 1. But despite those struggles, Tampa Bay still leads the Atlantic Division by a point over the Detroit Red Wings.
The Lightning followed up a win over Pittsburgh before the Christmas break with Saturday's 2-1 decision over the Carolina Hurricanes. Nikita Kucherov and Alex Killorn had the goals, with Kucherov having amassed six goals and five assists over his past eight games.
The 21-year-old's 15 goals on the season are second on the club, behind only Steven Stamkos' 19.
Ben Bishop made 25 saves to beat the Hurricanes for the fifth time in as many career starts against them. He came within 5:56 of recording a shutout in his return to action after missing the previous four games with a lower-body injury.
"I don't know if it was going to go down as the most exciting game of the year. The puck was bouncing all over the place," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "I thought we had a lot of really good chances to blow it open. We couldn't do it."
Bishop is likely to start tonight and is 3-5-0 in his career when facing the Maple Leafs with a 3.14 goals against average and .885 save percentage in 10 games.
Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin is unlikely to play tonight due to illness, while defenseman Jason Garrison remains out with an undisclosed injury.
The Maple Leafs have fallen five points behind the Lightning in the division, having lost four of their past five games. That includes a 6-4 setback to Florida on Sunday evening in which the Panthers scored four times in the third period to erase a two-goal deficit.
James van Riemsdyk, Nazem Kadri, Richard Panik and Roman Polak had second- period goals for Toronto, while James Reimer was given a late starting assignment with Jonathan Bernier suffering from flu-like symptoms.
It marked the first time in 15 games this season that Toronto lost when leading after two periods.
"I think everyone was a little rusty," said Reimer. "We played well for the most part, just stinks we lost that lead in the third."
Toronto also saw the early exit of Panik with an upper-body injury after he took a big hit in the game.
Reimer was backed up on Sunday by Christopher Gibson and it is unknown if Bernier is well enough to start this game. He is 3-0-0 with a 1.67 GAA and .952 save percentage in three starts versus the Lightning, while Reimer is only 2-5-0 against them with a 3.12 GAA and .901 save percentage.
The Maple Leafs won the first of four meetings with the Bolts this season, winning 5-2 at home on Nov. 20. Toronto got a pair of goals from van Riemsdyk in a three-goal second period and Bernier made 26 saves.
Toronto has won eight of the last 12 encounters overall.
- TORONTO: 2
TAMPA BAY: 3
Final
Dec 29 10:05 PM - TORONTO: 2
TAMPA BAY: 2
End of 1st
Dec 29 9:13 PM - TORONTO: 2
TAMPA BAY: 0
End of 1st
Dec 29 8:19 PM - TORONTO: 0
TAMPA BAY: 0
1st Period - 20:00
Dec 29 7:42 PM
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