The NHL action heats up on Thursday with a matchup featuring the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Edmonton Oilers. The game is set to begin at 7:30 p.m. ET at Benchmark International Arena and will be available for viewing on ESPN+. The Lightning, currently positioned eighth in the Eastern Conference with a record of 10-7-2, will challenge the Edmonton Oilers, who sit at 11th in the Western Conference standings with a record of 9-9-4.
Both teams are dealing with various player injuries ahead of the game. The Lightning will be without Ryan McDonagh, Pontus Holmberg, and Max Crozier, all sidelined due to undisclosed injuries. Additionally, defenseman Erik Cernak is considered day-to-day with a lower body issue, and star player Victor Hedman is also out with an undisclosed injury.
The Oilers face their share of challenges too, with Kasperi Kapanen and Ryan Nugent-Hopkins both ruled out due to injury, and Curtis Lazar also out with an upper body injury. Noah Philp is listed as day-to-day with an upper body concern.
In terms of individual performances, Tampa Bay’s Jake Guentzel has had a strong start to the season, recording 20 points, including 11 goals and nine assists over 19 games. For the Lightning, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy boasts a goals-against average of 2.6 and a save percentage of .905, ranking him 20th in the league. Meanwhile, Edmonton’s Connor McDavid continues to shine, leading the team with nine goals and 23 assists for a total of 32 points this season. In goal, Stuart Skinner has faced his struggles with an .880 save percentage and a goals-against average of 3.00.
Fans can expect an exciting evening filled with competitive hockey as both teams aim to improve their standings.