Cernak suffered an undisclosed injury in the first period of Saturday's 8-5 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets and did not return to the game. The 28-year-old Slovak defenseman has already missed 19 games this season due to injuries. He has five assists, 58 blocks, and 61 hits in 31 games this season.
Goncalves was limited to only 4:23 time-on-ice in Tampa Bay's most recent game, exiting the contest because of an undisclosed injury. The 25-year-old forward has 16 points (6G / 10A), 39 shots, and 42 hits in 46 games this season.
With Charle-Edouard D'Astous (lower body) on Injured Reserve, Tampa Bay has recalled Groshev from the Syracuse Crunch (AHL). The 24-year-old Groshev played one game with Tampa Bay earlier this season, his NHL debut, and recorded one assist in 13:03 time-on-ice ice.
D'Astous has been a surprising contributor on Tampa Bay's blueline this season, but he will miss at least a week after being placed on Injured Reserve due to a lower-body injury. The 27-year-old first-year NHLer is averaging 19:23 time-on-ice and has 17 points (3G / 14A) in 43 games.
The Lightning will hand Vasilevskiy his 32nd start of the campaign when they travel to Chicago on Friday. Vasilevskiy delivered another stellar performance in his last start, turning away 22 of the 23 shots he faced in 4-1 win over the Sharks on Tuesday. The former Vezina Trophy winner owns an impressive 21-7-3 record on the season to go along with a .916 SV% and 2.18 GAA. He's a great bet to stay in the win column tonight, as the Lightning enter action at -300 on the money line.
Sabourin did not appear in any games during his current call up and will return to Syracuse (AHL) on Friday. The 33-year-old has appeared in nine games this year, picking up a goal, 3 points and 63 PIMs.
McDonagh has been plagued by injuries this season, playing only 18 games, but is expected to return before the Olympic Break in two weeks. The 36-year-old defenseman has eight points (4G / 4A) and is averaging 20:00 time-on-ice.
Cirelli suffered an undisclosed injury late in the second period of Tuesday's game against the San Jose Sharks. The 28-year-old forward tested out the injury by taking a single shift in the third period, but left the game shortly after. Head Coach Jon Cooper was optimistic about Cirelli's status, but the team will wait for him to be further evaluated.
The Lightning will hand Vasilevskiy his 31st start of the season when they host the Sharks on Tuesday. Vasilevskiy came away with yet another victory in his last start, turning away 19 of the 20 shots he faced in a 4-1 win in Dallas on Sunday. Tampa's franchise netminder owns an impressive 20-7-3 record on the year to go along with a .915 SV% and 2.22 GAA. Vasilevskiy and the Lightning enter action on Tuesday at -300 on the money line.
Tampa Bay suffered its first loss in several weeks (11-0-1), a 3-2 shootout loss on Friday to the St. Louis Blues, in which Vasilevskiy saved 19 of 21 shots (.905 SV%). The 31-year-old Vasilevskiy has been outstanding since mid-November, posting an elite 1.82 GAA and .929 SV% in 17 games (14-2-1).
The Lightning will hand Vasilevskiy his 29th start of the season when they travel to St. Louis on Friday. Vasilevskiy won his eighth straight start in spectacular fashion on Tuesday, allowing just a single goal on 27 shots in a 2-1 shootout victory over the Penguins. The former Vezina Trophy winner is enjoying another fantastic season between the pipes for the Lightning, posting a 19-7-2 record and a .914 SV% across 28 appearances. The Lightning enter action on Friday as heavy favourites at -200 on the money line.
Jonas Johansson was absent from practice on Thursday, which was initially classified as "body maintenance," but may actually be something that could keep him out of the lineup, as indicated by the recalling of Brandon Halverson from the Syracuse Crunch (AHL). The 30-year-old Johansson has been serviceable in a supporting role this season, posting a 2.73 GAA and .896 SV% in 18 games (10-6-1).
