Tampa Bay Lightning (43-21-6, second in the Atlantic Division during the regular season) vs. Columbus Blue Jackets (33-22-15, sixth in the Metropolitan Division during the regular season)
Toronto; Monday, 3 p.m. EDT
EASTERN CONFERENCE FIRST ROUND: Tampa Bay leads series 2-1
BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning take on the Columbus Blue Jackets in the Eastern Conference first round with a 2-1 lead in the series. The teams meet Monday for the fifth time this season. The Lightning won the previous meeting 3-2.
The Blue Jackets are 23-9-10 against conference opponents. Columbus averages only 2.9 penalties per game, the fewest in the NHL. Pierre-Luc Dubois leads the team averaging 0.3.
The Lightning are 18-5-1 against opponents from the Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay has scored 243 goals and is the NHL leader averaging 3.5 goals per game. Nikita Kucherov leads the team with 33.
TOP PERFORMERS: Dubois leads the Blue Jackets with 49 points, scoring 18 goals and adding 31 assists. Oliver Bjorkstrand has two goals over the last 10 games for Columbus.
Kucherov leads the Lightning with 33 goals and has 85 points. Brayden Point has six goals and five assists over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.
DURING THE PLAYOFFS: Blue Jackets: Averaging 2.4 goals, 3.4 assists, 2.9 penalties and 6.1 penalty minutes while giving up 2.1 goals per game with a .951 save percentage.
Lightning: Averaging 2.2 goals, 4.2 assists, 5.0 penalties and 11.0 penalty minutes while giving up 2.5 goals per game with a .927 save percentage.
INJURIES: Blue Jackets: Cam Atkinson: day to day (undisclosed), Nathan Gerbe: day to day (undisclosed).
Lightning: Steven Stamkos: out (lower body).
___
The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by , and data from ,.
