The Tampa Bay Lightning took the ice Saturday against the Florida Panthers without one of their leading scorers, as Nikita Kucherov is sidelined with a lower-body injury, the team announced. He is considered day-to-day.
Kucherov's 61 points tie captain Steven Stamkos for the highest mark on the Lightning entering Saturday's action. The 22-year-old extended his goal-scoring streak to four games Friday with his 29th of the season, matching his career high set one year ago.
The Lightning placed 11 forwards and seven defenseman in the lineup for their key division battle, with Valtteri Filppula and Ryan Callahan also out with injuries.
