Recent history between Lightning and Oilers
The Tampa Bay Lightning will face off against the Edmonton Oilers in a late-night matchup on Tuesday. Both teams are looking to extend their winning streaks to three games. The Lightning have had the upper hand in this matchup recently, winning seven of the last ten games dating back to the 2018 season.
Speaking of recent form, both teams have won six of their last ten games. During that stretch, Edmonton’s star duo of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl has combined for 30 points, with McDavid recording 16 and Draisaitl adding 14. Facing that pair is daunting on its own, but it becomes even more intimidating when both are playing at the top of their game.
Zach Hyman returning to star form?
Another player to watch is Zach Hyman, who may be heating up as well. In a previous article, I argued that Hyman didn’t deserve a spot on Team Canada, and it appears the "snub" may have sparked a resurgence in his play. After scoring just three goals in his first 20 games this season, Hyman missed five games due to injury. Since returning, he has already matched his previous total, scoring three goals in his last two games. If Hyman has rediscovered the form that helped him score 54 goals last season, Edmonton's top line could pose even more challenges than previously anticipated.
Edmonton playing strong defense so far this season
Of course, there’s also the threat of Evan Bouchard, one of the league’s top defensemen. Bouchard finished last season in the top ten for plus-minus and ranked fourth among defensemen in scoring, trailing only Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, and Roman Josi, according to StatMuse. He finished with 82 points last season, and is currently on pace for 61 points this year - still an impressive total for a d-man and one that currently has him in the top 15 among all defenseman in scoring.
Despite ranking among the league's worst in overall save percentage - sitting in the bottom eight with a measly .892 - the Oilers have been effective at limiting both the quantity and quality of shots they face. They rank in the top half of the league in shots allowed and are among the top ten teams in goals allowed per game.
Tampa Bay coming off of two strong performances, injury update
Erik Cernak will not play in tonight's game after being injured in the win over Vancouver on Sunday afternoon. The Bolts have recalled 29-year-old defenseman, Steven Santini, to fill his role. The Lightning will need to capitalize on their scoring opportunities and play strong defensive hockey. Over the last two games, Tampa has shown improvement on both of those fronts, scoring 11 goals and allowing just three. Brayden Point has been especially magnificent, scoring eight points in those two games, numbers that earned him the NHL's second star of the week. The puck will drop at 9:00 PM EST in this highly anticipated matchup.