Tampa Bay @ Los Angeles preview

Last Meeting ( Jan 14, 2020 ) Los Angeles 3, Tampa Bay 4

The Tampa Bay Lightning managed to gain a point despite some old habits creeping back into their game last time out, and seek a better performance when they begin a tour of California on Wednesday night against the Los Angeles Kings. The Lightning improved to 12-2-1 with a 3-2 overtime loss at Dallas on Monday after the All-Star break, but struggled with turnovers and went 0-for-4 on the power play.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said his team gave up more odd-man rushes than it has allowed in the last 20 games combined and captain Steven Stamkos told reporters: “I don’t know if it was a little rust from the break, but that’s not the recipe for us to be successful and we haven’t played that way in a while.” The Lightning have won the last seven meetings, including a 4-3 shootout victory in Tampa Bay on Jan. 14 and a 6-2 win at the Staples Center last season, against the Western Conference-worst Kings. Los Angeles went into the break with four consecutive losses (0-3-1) and one victory in the last eight outings (1-6-1) as it continues to try to find building blocks for a better future. “We’ve played some really good teams and we’re learning how to be a really good team,” Kings veteran forward Dustin Brown told reporters. “We’ve got to take lessons from every game. It’s frustrating, but it’s important that we figure out how to get better.”

TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: NBC Sports Network

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (29-15-5): Stamkos scored both goals Monday to reach 20 for the 11th time in his career and is tied for second on the team behind right wing Nikita Kucherov, who scored five times in the past four games and tops the club with 56 points. Andrei Vasilevskiy (24-9-3, .917 save percentage) made 32 saves Monday, but has not lost in regulation since Dec. 14 (11-0-2) and boasts a .955 SP in January. All-Star defenseman Victor Hedman (nine goals, 33 assists) set up Stamkos’ late tying goal Monday and is a plus-8 in 11 January games.

ABOUT THE KINGS (18-27-5): Kopitar leads the team with 17 goals and 43 points - 16 more than the closest player - and Los Angeles is 29th in the league in scoring (2.50) despite being fourth in shots per game (33.6) entering Tuesday. Former Norris Trophy winner Drew Doughty, tied for second on the team in points (27) with forwards Tyler Toffoli and Alex Iafallo, is questionable with an undisclosed injury as his consecutive games streak of 460 is in jeopardy. Center Jeff Carter and Brown each have two goals along with an assist in the past three games while goalies Jonathan Quick and Jack Campbell have combined for a .892 save percentage - tied for 27th in the league through Monday.

OVERTIME

1. Los Angeles LW Kyle Clifford had a goal and an assist in the shootout loss at Tampa Bay earlier this month.

2. Tampa Bay D Ryan McDonagh needs one point to reach 300 in his career after recording 12 this season.

3. The Lightning are 28-for-30 on the penalty kill the past nine games while the Kings are 4-for-12 on the power play the past five contests.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Kings 1