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The Tampa Bay Lightning will look to continue their strong play as they welcome the Calgary Flames to Amalie Arena Thursday at 7 p.m. The Lightning (33-20-4) have had an impressive season thus far and will look to continue that, while the Flames (28-21-8) aim to pull off an upset.
Tampa Bay’s Dominant Season
The Lightning have been an offensive powerhouse this season, averaging 3.58 goals per game. Nikita Kucherov continues to fuel their attack, leading the team with 85 points (26 goals, 59 assists), while Brandon Hagel has also been a key contributor with 65 (28 goals, 37 assists).
My goodness, what a move from Nikita Kucherov! 😳 pic.twitter.com/XgpDC0Ay6K
— NHL (@NHL) January 19, 2025
As Tampa Bay’s offense has been on an elite level, the team can also credit its winning to the defense. The Lightning have a .914 save percentage, which is the second best in all of the NHL. It is safe to say that this squad is having an amazing season, doing it on both offense and defense.
Flames Look to Contain High-Powered Lightning
Calgary’s defense will have its hands full against Tampa Bay’s relentless attack. The Flames allow 2.9 goals per game, ranking 14th in the NHL. They will need a strong performance from Dustin Wolf to limit the Lightning’s offense. Wolf has posted a .913 save percentage this season, earning a top 10 ranking in the league.
Offensively, the Flames are struggling, ranking 28th in the NHL with just 2.65 goals per game. Nazem Kadri and Jonathan Huberdeau lead the team with 43 points each, but Calgary will need more from its depth scoring to keep up with Tampa Bay.
Goaltending Battle Could Decide Outcome
Andrei Vasilevskiy has been a rock in the net for the Lightning, ranking third in the league with a .921 save percentage. He has been a huge help for this Tampa Bay team, especially in their recent stretch. He’s allowed just 1.9 goals per game over their last 10 games.
If the Flames want to keep this game close, they’ll need Wolf to match Vasilevskiy while tightening up defensively against one of the NHL’s top offenses.
Look Ahead
The Lightning are currently on a six-game win streak and are looking to make it seven. The Lightning will host the Flames at the Amalie Arena Thursday at 7 p.m.
