Tampa Bay @ Anaheim preview

Last Meeting ( Nov 23, 2019 ) Anaheim 2, Tampa Bay 6

The Tampa Bay Lightning had to rally to gain positive results in the first two games after the All-Star break and look to get off to a better start Friday night when they visit the improving Anaheim Ducks. The Lightning needed a late goal in regulation to gain a point at Dallas on Monday before fighting back from a two-goal deficit as captain Steven Stamkos scored twice to beat Los Angeles 4-2 on Wednesday.

“In the grand scheme of things, we didn’t really give them much the whole night,” Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper told reporters after his team blanked the Kings over the final 38 minutes, 42 seconds while Stamkos told the media: “So I liked the way we defended, a couple miscues gave them a couple chances, but we battled back.” The Lightning will try to extend their point streak at Anaheim to 10 after going 5-0-4 in the last nine trips to the Honda Center, are are 13-2-1 in their last 16 contests since starting 17-13-4. The Ducks, who lost at Tampa Bay 6-2 on Nov. 23, have won three of their last four games after knocking off Arizona 4-2 on Wednesday with two goals from center Adam Henrique. “Our execution was back, that was for sure, and for us to play well and to be able to play with teams like that, it has to start there,” Anaheim coach Dallas Eakins told reporters. “It was something we keyed on in practice, and with the execution comes pace, and we had some pace.”

TIME: 10 p.m. ET. TV: FS Sun, Prime Ticket, Sportsnet

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (30-15-5): Stamkos tied linemate Nikita Kucherov for the team lead with 22 goals and has five goals and nine points in his last five games. Kucherov, the reigning Hart Trophy winner, has matched Stamkos with five goals and four assists over the past five contests and leads the team with 58 points. Andrei Vasilevskiy (.918 save percentage) made 32 saves Wednesday for his league-leading 25th win to move within one of 150 in his career, and has not suffered a loss in regulation since Dec. 14.

ABOUT THE DUCKS (20-25-5): Henrique’s two goals gave him a team-leading 17 - one shy of last season’s total in 82 games - as he broke a tie with fellow forward Jakob Silfverberg (15), who managed one point (assist) in his past five contests. Captain Ryan Getzlaf was kept off the scoresheet for the second straight game Wednesday, but has recorded eight of his team-high 33 points in the last nine games (one goal). John Gibson (15-20-3, .905 SP) has won two of his last three starts and will likely split the goaltending duties with Ryan Miller (5-5-2, .904) as Anaheim plays at Los Angeles on Saturday.

OVERTIME

1. Anaheim D Hampus Lindholm had an assist Wednesday to extend his point streak to three games.

2. Tampa Bay C Anthony Cirelli has totaled three goals and four assists over his past five contests.

3. The Ducks have killed off all nine power plays the last four games after going 5-for-10 in the previous five outings.

PREDICTION: Lightning 5, Ducks 2