Central Plains FFA Chapter

04/08 03:11 CDT Canadiens host the Lightning after shootout victory Canadiens host the Lightning after shootout victory By The Associated Press Tampa Bay Lightning (48-24-6, in the Atlantic Division) vs. Montreal Canadiens (46-22-10, in the Atlantic Division) Montreal, Quebec; Thursday, 7 p.m. EDT BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Montreal Canadiens after the Canadiens defeated the Florida Panthers 4-3 in a shootout. Montreal is 15-9-1 against the Atlantic Division and 46-22-10 overall. The Canadiens have gone 19-5-1 in games they convert at least one power play. Tampa Bay is 48-24-6 overall and 14-8-1 against the Atlantic Division. The Lightning have allowed 219 goals while scoring 277 for a +58 scoring differential. Thursday's game is the fourth meeting between these teams this season. The Canadiens won 4-1 in the previous meeting. TOP PERFORMERS: Lane Hutson has 12 goals and 63 assists for the Canadiens. Cole Caufield has nine goals and eight assists over the past 10 games. Nikita Kucherov has 43 goals and 84 assists for the Lightning. Jake Guentzel has six goals and eight assists over the last 10 games. LAST 10 GAMES: Canadiens: 9-1-0, averaging 3.4 goals, 5.5 assists, 4.3 penalties and 10.7 penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game. Lightning: 5-3-2, averaging 3.3 goals, 5.5 assists, 5.4 penalties and 12.5 penalty minutes while giving up 2.9 goals per game. INJURIES: Canadiens: Alexandre Carrier: out (upper body), Patrik Laine: out (abdomen), Joseph Veleno: day to day (illness). Lightning: Brandon Hagel: day to day (lower-body), Max Crozier: out (abdomen), Anthony Cirelli: day to day (undisclosed), Dominic James: out (leg), Declan Carlile: out (undisclosed), Victor Hedman: out (personal), Pontus Holmberg: day to day (upper-body). ___ The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.