Monday, 3 a.m.
If the Lightning are prepared to climb up the standings, as they say, there is nothing better than a game against the Detroit Red Wings.
The Bolts beat the Wings again Sunday night, 2-1, to win their third straight game. It moved Tampa Bay within a point of Florida for third place and three points of Toronto for second. It was the 16th straight time the Lightning has beaten Detroit (18 counting playoffs) in a streak that goes back to 2015.
The Lightning dominated play, outshooting Detroit 39-20. Still, the game was tied going in the third period. Brayden Point scored the winner, his 15th goal, at 5:33 of the third period.
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Curtis McElhinney won his fourth game for the Bolts.
"He's pro," said Lightning Jon Cooper. "He's been around. He gives us a chance to win every night and that's what you need from your backup.
"You have to win these gam3s. It's keeping us in the pack. It seems like everyone is winning. We've got to make a run."
Ondrej Palat scored the Lightning's opening goal.
"We have to find a way to close these games out," Cooper said. "Early in the year we weren't closing them out. Tonight, we did. We didn't give up a ton of scoring chances, but we had two breakaways and two two-on-ones and Mac bailed us out."
The Lightning plays Tuesday night in Buffalo. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 p.m.