The Tampa Bay Lightning (28-13-1, 57 points, 3rd Atlantic) plays the third game of a five-game round trip and the first of three straight north of the border when visiting the Vancouver Canucks (18-22-3, 39 points, 6th Pacific) on Wednesday. Tampa Bay defeated the Seattle Kraken 4-1 on Monday for their fourth consecutive win and eighth win in the last 10 games played. Vancouver defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 4-3 in a shootout on Sunday snapping a four-game losing streak but Vancouver has lost seven of the last nine. Tampa Bay will play without Rudolfs Balcers and Brent Seabrook, while Nick Perbix is questionable. Vancouver will play without Thatcher Demko, Tanner Pearson and Tucker Poolman, while Travis Dermott is questionable
The Tampa Bay Lightning are scoring an average of 3.60 goals per game, which is fifth highest in the NHL. The Lightning are taking an average of 32.2 shots per game which is 13th highest. Tampa Bay's power play is second best in the NHL, scoring 29.2% of the time the Lightning have the man advantage. Brayden Point is the leading goal scorer for Tampa Bay with 25, while Steven Stamkos has scored 18. The leader in assists is Nikita Kucherov with 45 and the right wing is also the leader in points with 62, while Stamkos has 49. Tampa Bay has scored 42 goals on the power play in 42 games.
Tampa Bay is allowing an average of 2.88 goals per game which is 13th lowest in the NHL Tampa Bay is allowing an average of 30.7 shots per game, which is also 13th. The penalty kill unit for Tampa Bay is ninth best, holding opponen ts scoreless 81.3% of the time the Lightning are short-handed. Tampa Bay goaltender Andre Vasilevskiy is 20-10-1 with a 2.45 goals against average and .918 save percentage. Vasilevskiy has won each of his last four starts in goal for Tampa Bay, which includes a 5-4 victory over Vancouver on January 12.