- Outside of netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy, the Tampa Bay Lightning are without their top player tonight. Gabby Shirley of FanDuel Sports Network reported earlier that former-MVP Nikita Kucherov had been deemed at game-time decision while battling an illness. Shortly before game time, it was confirmed that Kucherov wouldn’t be available for tonight’s contest. Nick Paul is filling in for Kucherov on the team’s first line and has one shot with a -1 rating at the time of writing.
- According to head coach Rod Brind’Amour, and passed along by Ryan Henkel of The Hockey News, the Carolina Hurricanes aren’t expecting Andrei Svechnikov back tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings. Svechnikov missed Carolina’s recent game against the Tampa Bay Lightning due to an undisclosed injury, making tomorrow his second missed contest in a row. Brind’Amour shared he doesn’t expect the injury to keep Svechnikov out long-term.