Projected Lineups for Panthers Amid Lightning Matchup
As the Lightning prepare to face the Panthers, both teams have notable injuries and strategic adjustments. The matchup will take place at 7 p.m. ET at The Spot, Scripps. This article highlights the projected lineups for each team as they gear up for this crucial game.
Projected Lineups for Lightning and Panthers
Lightning’s Projected Lineup
- Gage Goncalves — Brayden Point — Nikita Kucherov
- Jake Guentzel — Anthony Cirelli — Oliver Bjorkstrand
- Pontus Holmberg — Yanni Gourde — Zemgus Girgensons
- Curtis Douglas — Jack Finley — Nick Paul
- J.J. Moser — Darren Raddysh
- Charle-Edouard D’Astous — Steven Santini
- Declan Carlile — Max Crozier
Goaltenders: Andrei Vasilevskiy, Jonas Johansson
Injury Report for Lightning
- Scratched: Dominic James, Scott Sabourin
- Injured: Ryan McDonagh (lower body), Erik Cernak (undisclosed), Victor Hedman (elbow), Emil Lilleberg (undisclosed), Brandon Hagel (upper body)
Panthers’ Projected Lineup
- Eetu Luostarinen — Anton Lundell — Sam Reinhart
- Carter Verhaeghe — Sam Bennett — Brad Marchand
- Mackie Samoskevich — Evan Rodrigues — A.J. Greer
- Luke Kunin — Noah Gregor — Jesper Boqvist
- Gustav Forsling — Aaron Ekblad
- Niko Mikkola — Seth Jones
- Uvis Balinskis — Jeff Petry
Goaltenders: Sergei Bobrovsky, Daniil Tarasov
Injury Report for Panthers
- Scratched: Donovan Sebrango, Jack Studnicka
- Injured: Aleksander Barkov (knee), Matthew Tkachuk (lower body), Tomas Nosek (knee), Jonah Gadjovich (upper body), Dmitry Kulikov (shoulder), Cole Schwindt (arm)
Status Updates
Defender Steven Santini was called up from the AHL and is set to fill in for Ryan McDonagh, who is day-to-day with a recurring injury. Scott Sabourin was also recalled but faced travel issues, potentially affecting his participation.
Defenseman Erik Cernak skated recently and is close to returning, while Brandon Hagel, who hasn’t played since mid-December, also skated but will not play tonight.
Mackie Samoskevich’s status remains uncertain as he was back on the third line after missing two games. His presence could influence the game strategy for the Panthers.
The encounter between the Lightning and Panthers promises to be an engaging contest with both teams facing challenges due to injuries. Fans can anticipate an intense matchup starting at 7 p.m. ET.
