Enemy Blog: Head over to Canes Country for your opposition blog coverage

Record: Lightning (39-23-11) Hurricanes (34-29-10)

Game time: 7:30pm EST on SUN (HD), NHLN-US and on the radio at 620 WDAE

Previous games: 4-3 win on February 12th, 4-6 loss on January 15th, 5-1 win on December 20th

It's a home-and-home back-to-back game!

The Lightning start off this pair of games against the Hurricanes in Raleigh Tampa tonight before heading to Tampa Raleigh tomorrow night. This is not the last of the Hurricanes though as we'll finish off the regular season against them in two weeks.

Now I've been writing for a few games that the Lightning keep looking to turn their struggles around, but I'm beginning to feel like a broken record. The Lightning can, if by some miracle of god, clinch a playoff spot if they win the pair of games against Carolina. I'm not holding it to them that it has to be this weekend, but it would be nice turnaround, no? The Hurricanes on the other hand are battling in 8th place for a playoff spot against the Sabres, so they'll be bringing their A game.

The team has had some time off from practice as Boucher thinks that pushing them harder is not what would be the most beneficial. In particular, he told Stamkos and St. Louis to take the whole two days off while other players still came to the rink for some meetings, treatments and off ice workouts. Stamkos has had only 3 goals in his past 19 games and if rest is what he needs to beat the slump, then make like Capitals and give him rest because Corey Perry just scored goal number 41 last night.

Go Bolts!

Line-up Notes:

• Lightning injuries: Ryan Malone, Randy Jones, Steve Downie
• Hurricane injuries: Jamie McBain

Your pre-game reading links:

• Official Lightning preview
• Official Lightning game notes
• Raw Charge's preview

Blogging note: There may not be a recap/preview after this game, maybe just a recap after both games are played out. no comments

I thought this photo looked fun.

This photo may be the only thing fun about tonight's game.

Lightning lose 5-2 to the Islanders. They let in two shorthanded goals (one was an empty netter if that makes you feel better about it). People are screaming for Marty to be taken off of the point on the PP.

Next game: Friday against Carolina no comments

Enemy Blog: Head over to Islanders Hockey Blog for your opposition blog coverage

Record: Lightning (39-22-11) Islanders (28-33-12)

Previous games: 1-2 OT loss on December 22, 4-2 win on November 17th, 3-2 OT win on October 21

Game time: 7:30pm EST on SUN (HD) on the radio at 620 WDAE

Free Stuff: First 5,000 fans in Lightning gear get a replica Lightning jersey

This is the last game of the season series against the Islander and this is yet another one of those games that the Lightning should win. But the Lightning have only two of their last ten games and with much of the other 'should win' games, this one will probably end in an OT loss as well.

Roloson will get the start in net tonight, and tonight's game will be the first time he's played his former team since getting traded.

Some good news for the team comes in that both Ryan Malone and Steve Downie are skating with the team. Having them both back will be huge for the team as we wind down the regular season.

Go Bolts!

Line-up Notes:

• Lightning injuries: Ryan Malone is out with mid body injuries, Randy Jones has a high ankle sprain, Simon Gagne, Steve Downie
• Islander injuries: Mark Streit, Mark Eaton, Mike Mottau, Doug Weight, Kevin Poulin, Trent Hunter
• Dwaye Roloson gets the start in net

Your pre-game reading links:

• Official Lightning preview
• Raw Charge's preview
• My weekly links post over at Raw Charge
• Official Lightning game notes
• Tonight is Ohlund's 900th game of his career

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Now, I'm not very good with analyzing stats, so this is NOT a stats post. But I am pretty good at coming up with lists (looove lists) and with only 10 games remaining in the rest of the season, let's have a little fun with numbers;

10 - Games left in the regular season

3 - Years in a row the Lightning have missed the playoffs

89 - Points team has with 10 games left

80 - Points the Lightning had at the end of the 2009-2010 season

66 - Points the Lightning had at the end of the 2008-2009 season



250 - Shots on goal by Steven Stamkos

17.2 -  Shooting % accuracy by Stamkos

43 - Goals scored by Stamkos

39 - Goals scored by Corey Perry

10 - Games left for both Anaheim and Tampa Bay

17 - Powerplay goals scored by Stamkos
 
7 - Game winning goals scored by Stamkos



86 -  Points Stamkos currently has

86 - Points Henrik Sedin currently has

85 - Points Martin St. Louis currently has

93 - Points the NHL's leading scorer, Daniel Sedin currently has

1 - Game against Detroit that Daniel will miss for the birth of his third child

208 - Goals scored by the Lightning

20.6 - Percent of goals scored by Stamkos for the Lightning

8 - Number of teams that have scored more goals than the Lightning this year

211 -  Goals scored on the Lightning

22 - Number of teams that have a better GA/G stat than the Lightning

298 - Powerplays given to Tampa Bay (tied for highest in the league with Carolina)

62 -  Powerplay goals scored

1 - Number of teams that have scored more PPG's than Tampa (Vancouver)

20.8 - Powerplay % efficiency

5 - Number of teams that have a better PP %

35 - Powerplay goals scored at home

22.7 - Powerplay efficiency at home

27 - Powerplay goals scored on the road

18.8 - Powerplay efficiency on the road

13 - Shorthanded goals allowed by Tampa Bay (highest in league)

0 - Number of teams that have allowed in more shorthanded goals than Tampa Bay



1 - Shorthanded goal scored by Nate Thompson (lowest in league)

29 - Number of teams that have scored more shorthanded goals than the Lightning

83.6 - PK % of the Tampa Bay Lightning

85.3 - PK % of last year's Stanley Cup winning team in the regular season

780 - Penalties in minutes taken by the Lightning

10.8 - Average number of penalty minutes per game the Lightning receive

243 - Penalty minutes for Islanders forward Zenon Konopka who leads the NHL in PIMs

146 - Penalty minutes accumulated by Steve Downie

8 - Penalty minutes accumulated by Steve Downie's linemate Martin St. Louis

50.5 - Faceoff win % of the Lightning

14 - Number of teams with a better faceoff win % than the Lightning

53.5 - Faceoff win percentage of Dominic Moore, the highest on the Lightning

62.7 - Faceoff win percentage of David Steckel, the highest in the league

.628 - Win % if the Lightning score first

22 - Number of teams with a better win % if their score first

+7 - +/- for Steve Downie who leads the team

20 - Number of players on the Lightning roster with a minus record on the +/-

-18 - Simon Gagne's +/- for the worst on the team

47 - Number of points Teddy Purcell has

16 - Career high in points Teddy Purcell has had previously
 
3 - Number of current Lightning players on twitter

12,309 - Number of people who follow Stamkos on twitter

13 - Days since Stamkos made his first tweet



30 - Days that Stamkos tried to grow a mustache in November that I wish never happened

10,510 - Number of people who follow Lecavalier on twitter

17,247 - Number of people who follow @TBLightning on twitter

10 - Number of millions of dollars that Jeff Vinik has announced to donate to the Lightning foundation

13,443 - Actual average attendance in 31 games through February according to Hillsborough County (via Cristodero)

21.3 -  Percentage increase in the actual average attendance as compared to last year's season average attendance
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Enemy Blog: Head over to The 6th Sens for your opposition blog coverage

Record: Lightning (39-22-10) Senators (26-36-9)

Previous games: 2-1 loss on March 11th, 2-1 win on January 8th

Game time: 7:00pm EST on SUN (HD), CBC and on the radio at 620 WDAE

Lecavalier is still fuming from last game. He's now joined the hate-on-Subban club with Mike Richards where they don't like young punks with no respect.

Tonight is the last game of the roadtrip and the Lightning really need to get a win tonight. So far this trip has been a bit of a push with 1 win and two OT losses.  I've run out to say about things about Ottawa because well I really don't care about this game. I just want the team to get the two points.

Simon Gagne is out tonight as he had a follow up procedure done for his previous neck injury. Cristodero says he might even be out for the Tuesday game against the Islanders

Go Bolts!

Line-up Notes:

• Lightning injuries: Ryan Malone is out with mid body injuries, Randy Jones has a high ankle sprain, Simon Gagne
• Senators injuries: Daniel Alfredsson, Milan Michalek, Matt Carkner, Peter Regin
• Dwayne Roloson gets the start in net

Your pre-game reading links:

• Official Lightning preview
• Raw Charge's preview

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According to Elliotte's Friedman's twitter this morning, no further supplemental discipline will be handed out to Lecavalier (or Subban).

Quotes from Vinny in Erlendsson's article in the Tampa Tribune:

"He slew-foot me a couple of times in front of the net, it was a battle in front of the net and I thought he could receive a penalty,'' Lecavalier said. "I thought I had a great screen and that's when he slew-foot me, and he did it again. And then we went around the net and he slashed me twice on the wrist. I tried to show the refs, then I turned around and I slashed him back. I deserved the penalty, but I'm not sure about being kicked out of the game.''

"Obviously he came back and he was fine the next shift,'' Lecavalier said. "I just think we both should have had penalties. I looked at the replay and he slashed me twice on the wrist. So if I was going to get kicked out of the game, he should have, too. Just because he stayed on the ice . . . obviously he came back on the next shift. He was fine the rest of the game, he was good.''
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Lightning lost 3-2 in a shootout.
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