Tampa Bay Lightning News

We caught a glimpse of Vasilevskiy of old in his previous start as he shut out the Dallas Stars in a 25 save effort for the sixth time in his career and we re-take the crease Wednesday vs. Pittsburgh. The 29-year-old superstar netminder has struggled with his return from back surgery so far this season as he is 2-3-0 with a 3.03 GAA and .887 SV%. He faces the heavy shooting Pittsburgh Penguins, who are on a two-game losing streak but are third in the NHL in shots per game (33.5).

Copley and Cam Talbot were originally slated to be a timeshare tandem, but a horrid start to the season for Copley derailed that plan and saw him see limited action in the first six weeks of the season. Since then, Copley has regained some trust from the Kings' coaching staff, as he has a sensational .980 SV% across his last two outings (2-0-0) and will start for the third time in seven games. The Kings have a favourable matchup for Copley on Tuesday as they are -199 road favourites against a Columbus Blue Jackets team that ranks in the bottom third of the league offensively (2.85 GF / GP).

Katchouk will be a healthy scratch, allowing Lukas Reichel to return to the lineup after his first scratch of the season on Sunday. Katchouk has four points (2G / 2A), 23 shots, and 14 hits in 17 games this season.

Copley and Cam Talbot were originally slated to be a timeshare tandem, but a horrid start to the season for Copley derailed that plan and saw him see limited action in the first six weeks of the season. Since then, Copley has regained some trust from the Kings' coaching staff, as he has a sensational .980 SV% across his last two outings (2-0-0) and is expected to start for the third time in seven games. The Kings have a favourable matchup for Copley on Tuesday as they are -199 road favourites against a Columbus Blue Jackets team that ranks in the bottom third of the league offensively (2.85 GF / GP).

Vasilevskiy struggled for a third-straight loss in his previous start after allowing six goals on 25 shots (.760 SV%) in a road matchup vs. Dallas but will get the nod again Monday for a redemption match against the Stars. The 29-year-old came back from a long-term injury nearly two weeks ago and has struggled to regain his usual dominant form so far with his 1-3-0 record, 3.87 GAA and .859 SV%. He will take on the Dallas Stars, who will be looking to repeat their dominant 8-1 victory over Tampa last game and are sixth in the NHL in goals per game (3.55).

Johansson has been a workhorse to start the season and will tie Alexandar Georgiev for the league lead with his 18th start on Tuesday. That said, Johansson's workload is about to take a major decline as the Tampa Bay Lightning welcomed back All-Star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy last week. Apart from back-to-backs and the occasional rest for Vasilevskiy, Johansson is unlikely to see much playing time moving forward. Johansson helped secure at least a point for his team in his last four games (3-0-1) but allowed 13 goals on 116 shots in that span (.888 SV%). Even so, Tampa Bay is a -116 road favourite against an Arizona Coyotes team that has lost three of their last four (1-3-0).

Vasilevskiy made his season debut on Friday and did not seem to miss a step, saving 22 of 24 shots (.917 SV%) in an 8-2 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes and will likely start again on Monday against the Colorado Avalanche. Tampa Bay's Monday night matchup is the front end of a back-to-back, and Jonas Johansson has already been confirmed for Tuesday, but back-to-backs aside, Vasilesvkiy should see a heavy workload the rest of the way. Vasilevskiy and the Lightning are +116 road underdogs against an Avalanche team that could be without Nathan MacKinnon (illness).

Copley will take over the Kings' crease for the second time in three games Saturday vs. Montreal after stopped 30 of 31 shots (.968 SV%) in a victory last start. The 31-year-old Alaskan native has struggled out of the gate this season, with his 2-0-2 record, 3.75 GAA and .845 SV%. He will face the Montreal Canadiens for a matinee showdown, who has won two straight games but are 25th in the NHL in goals per game (2.85).

Girgensons left the Sabres' game Friday vs. Pittsburgh after just 6:35 due to a lower-body injury and was placed on the injured reserve Saturday with expectations he is out week-to-week. The 29-year-old left-winger had two goals, 27 SOG, seven PIMs and a -3 plus/minus in 20 games played prior to his injury.

Girgensons played just 6:35 TOI before leaving Friday's game vs. the Penguins. The Sabres already had to play with 11 forwards and seven defensemen last night, so expect them to make some call-ups if Girgensons and Jordan Greenway are unavailable.

Vasilevskiy will make his long-awaited season debut for Tampa Bay after undergoing back surgery in September. His return to the lineup lines up with his initial 8-10-week timeline. During his absence from the lineup, Jonas Johansson filled in as the starting goaltender, but the team will be excited to get their perennial Vezina candidate back in the lineup. The Lightning are +143 road underdogs on Friday against a Carolina Hurricanes team that has won two straight games, outscoring their opposition 10-5.

Vasilevskiy has yet to make an appearance in 2023-24 as he recovers from a back injury but is expected to be activated off the injured reserve Friday after Matt Tomkins was placed on waivers Thursday. The 29-year-old six-time NHL wins leader will make a welcome return to Tampa's roster, where he was 34-22-4 with a 2.65 GAA and .915 SV% in 60 GP in 2022-23.

Johansson has been abysmal lately, but due to a lack of options between the pipes for the Lightning and his ability to still secure victories will likely start again on Wednesday. Johansson has allowed four or more goals in eight of his last nine outings, posting a wretched .867 SV%, but has still salvaged a winning 4-3-2 record. Tampa Bay has even -105 betting odds on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets, who have been scoring at an impressive clip, tallying at least five goals in five of their last seven games (6-1-0).

Katchouk will return to the Blackhawks' lineup on Wednesday as Taylor Hall is not expected to play due to an undisclosed injury. Katchouk last played on November 16th when he scored one point (0G / 1A), one shot, and two hits in 13:06 time-on-ice.