Lightning vie for team-record 11th straight win vs. Avalanche


Reuters | Florida | Updated: 18-02-2020 08:04 IST | Created: 18-02-2020 01:32 IST
Lightning vie for team-record 11th straight win vs. Avalanche
Representative Image Image Credit: Twitter (@TBLightning)
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The Tampa Bay Lightning had an NHL record-tying 62-win season in 2018-19 before being unceremoniously swept in the first round of the playoffs. It doesn't look like Tampa Bay has let that disappointing finish carry over to this season.

The Lightning have won 10 in a row -- five of those on the road -- and have 83 points, second in the NHL behind Atlantic Division rival Boston. They will go for a franchise-record 11th straight win on Monday when they visit the Colorado Avalanche in Denver. "To go on a run like (this) is pretty cool," Tampa Bay center Anthony Cirelli said after a 5-3 win over Philadelphia on Saturday. "Everyone's having fun around the room, but at the end of the day, it's still just a part of the season. We have to keep working hard, trying to be better, and play a full 60-minute game."

The Avalanche were as hot as Tampa Bay before struggling in the third period of their last two contests. Colorado nursed a 2-1 lead over Washington on Thursday before a pair of third-period goals ended its five-game winning streak. On Saturday night, in the NHL Stadium Series game at the Air Force Academy, the Los Angeles Kings scored a go-ahead goal with 54 seconds left to win that game.

The Avalanche lost more than a game in the chilly conditions in Colorado Springs, Colo. Goaltender Philipp Grubauer left early in the third period with a lower-body injury after he inadvertently was knocked over by teammate Ian Cole. Colorado coach Jared Bednar said Monday that Grubauer is out indefinitely.

"I don't really have a timeline on it," Bednar said. "He's still getting evaluated, he's still going through some testing or training room or whatnot. I'll have a better answer probably later in the week. Right now he's day to day and could miss some time." Forward Matt Calvert also left Saturday's game with a lower-body injury and will be out a few weeks.

"We're hoping it's an injury where we can get him back skating and playing here in the next couple weeks, but it's weeks, not days," Bednar said. "I'm not sure what happened, he felt it, pain in the lower body and it got worse and worse. So he's got whatever you call it, oblique strain." The Avalanche recalled goalie Hunter Miska from the AHL.

While Colorado center Nazem Kadri has missed three games and is expected to be out at least a month with a lower-body injury, the streaking Lightning are getting healthier. Captain Steven Stamkos missed three games and reigning Hart Trophy recipient Nikita Kucherov was out for one, but both returned for the win over Philadelphia on Saturday. Kucherov had a goal and an assist and Stamkos had two assists.

Colorado posted a 6-2 win over the Lightning on Oct. 19 in Tampa, Fla. 

(This story has not been edited by Devdiscourse staff and is auto-generated from a syndicated feed.)

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