Columbus Blue Jackets (33-22-15, sixth in the Metropolitan Division during the regular season) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (43-21-6, second in the Atlantic Division during the regular season)
Toronto; Thursday, 3 p.m. EDT
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Tampa Bay leads series 1-0
BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning face the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference first round with a 1-0 lead in the series. The teams meet Thursday for the third time this season. The Lightning won the last meeting 3-2 in overtime. Brayden Point scored a team-high two goals for the Lightning in the victory.
The Lightning are 28-12-3 against Eastern Conference opponents. Tampa Bay averages 9.4 points per game to lead the league, recording 3.5 goals and 5.9 assists per game.
The Blue Jackets are 10-7-5 against opponents from the Metropolitan Division. Columbus averages only 2.9 penalties per game, the fewest in the league. Pierre-Luc Dubois leads the team averaging 0.3.
TOP PERFORMERS: Point leads the Lightning with a plus-28 in 66 games this season. Alex Killorn has four goals and two assists over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.
Oliver Bjorkstrand leads the Blue Jackets with 21 goals and has 36 points. Dubois has four goals and five assists over the last 10 games for Columbus.
DURING THE PLAYOFFS: Lightning: Averaging 2.2 goals, 4.2 assists, 5.8 penalties and 13.0 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game with a .941 save percentage.
Blue Jackets: Averaging 2.3 goals, 3.2 assists, 3.3 penalties and 7.2 penalty minutes while giving up 2.2 goals per game with a .953 save percentage.
INJURIES: Lightning: Steven Stamkos: out (lower body).
Blue Jackets: Zach Werenski: day to day (upper body).
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The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by , and data from ,.
