Kraken (2-5-2) at Lightning (4-2-2) | 4:00 p.m.

One: Staying With It

Coach Dave Hakstol and players alike have espoused playing “good road games” during this four-game set in Eastern Conference cities. Two games have gone to overtime with dramatic late-seconds deciding goals and the third one looked headed to OT before a weird and unfortunate bounce off a Zamboni door felled the Kraken against Florida Saturday night.

What exactly qualifies as a good road game? One answer is to be competitive, and not let up the entire 60 minutes (or 65 minutes). Get shots on goal early and get to the net-front.

Most of all, playing a good road game in the NHL means to endure and respond to the home team's pushes, whether the latter is fueled by fan noise and support or simply a tough opponent that plays well at home.

“There will be [offensive] pushes back and forth,” said Dave Hakstol post-game Saturday, referencing the home Panthers converting on a power play goal to halve a Kraken two-goal lead and then tying the game at 2-2 just 11 seconds later.

“They had a couple of stretches in the second period where they had good pushes. We pushed right back in the third period by the way we played. The third period [facing Florida] is exactly what you'd want to be able to do on the road after being on your heels a little bit in the second period. You want to push back in the third. In fact, I don't believe we gave up the scoring chance until the bounce off the glass, the one that ended up in the back of the net."

Two: Hakstol Shakes Up Lines, Grubauer Starter

There are some key Kraken players still looking for their first goals of the 2023-24 season, including centers Alex Wennberg and Matty Beniers. The two centermen ran first and second in time-on-ice for forwards. Wennberg has averaged 18:43 per game and Beniers is at 18:33. The two players have generated scoring chances and even clanged a post or crossbar. Fans can expect both to be at the 20-goal mark by the season’s end and Monday would be a welcome opportunity to get started on the milestone.

Beniers and Wennberg each inherited a new winger Monday during morning skate. Oliver Bjorkstrand will now move to play with Beniers and rookie Tye Kartye. Jordan Eberle transfers his skills to skate with Wennberg and Jaden Schwartz, forming a veteran trio that played a lot together in the previous two seasons, especially in Year 1.

“Putting Ollie with Matty is just a little different look there,” said Hakstol after a morning skate in Tampa during which presumptive starter Philipp Grubauer was the first goalie to exit the ice. “The other two combinations [former lines] offense was not coming easily. So just a little spark there. It’s not a major change in any way.”

Three: Know the Foe: Tampa Bay Rising

The Lightning are 3-0-2 in their last five games and 4-0-1 at home on the young season. With all-world goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy on the long-term injured list, NHL journeyman Jonas Johansson made 32 saves to shut out Carolina this past week and keep his clean sheet with a 6-0 drubbing of San Jose last Thursday.

Whether on the power play or penalty kill, Seattle will be challenged Monday on the final game of this road trip before heading back to the PNW for home games against Nashville Thursday and division rival Calgary Saturday. That’s because Tampa Bay ranks top-five overall in both power play scoring (percentage of success) and prevention of goals when shorthanded.

While Oliver Bjorkstrand leads Kraken scorers with eight points in nine games, Tampa Bay has five players with eight points or more in eight games: Forwards Steven Stamkos (in six games) and Brandon Hagel with eight, D-man Victor Hedman at nine, then forwards Brayden Point at 10 (two goals, eight assists) and, no surprise, Nikita Kucherov with six goals and five assists for 11 points.