Bolts get chance to reset at home after shutout loss in Ottawa

The Tampa Bay Lightning return to AMALIE Arena following their longest road trip of the season to date, a five-game journey highlighted by wins against traditionally tough divisional opponents Boston and Toronto.
The Lightning went 4-1-0 on the five-game trip, just the third time in team history they've picked up four wins on a five-gamer. The Bolts fell short of setting a franchise record by sweeping a road trip of five or more games when they dropped a 4-0 decision in Ottawa in the finale.

That perplexing result put a damper on an otherwise fantastic trip. Had the loss come at the beginning of the trip and Tampa Bay won four straight to close it, spirits would be high around the Lightning locker room.
As it stands, the Bolts have a lingering bitter taste in their mouths after getting shut out for the first time this season.
They'll look to rinse away that result when they host the Los Angles Kings at AMALIE Arena tonight (7 p.m. puck drop). The Lightning have won eight in a row over the Kings -- their second-longest active win streak against one franchise - and five straight against L.A. in Tampa.

"A little salty feeling after losing to Ottawa there in that fashion, but we have a chance to reset here a couple days and get back to playing at home here against another good team," Bolts defenseman Ryan McDonagh said.
It's imperative the Lightning produce positive results in their limited action at home during the month of December. Tampa Bay is playing just its second home game in December, one of five it'll play during the month. Following tonight's contest against the Kings, the Bolts get a rematch with Ottawa on Thursday before heading out on another long journey, three games in six days out west with stops in Colorado, Vegas and Arizona.
Then the Bolts reset during the Christmas break before closing 2021 with two out of three games at home.
The Lightning own the third-best road record in the NHL at 9-3-2. They've been equally tough to defeat at home over the past few seasons. Since the start of the 2018-19 season, the Bolts top the NHL for home point percentage (.741).
The Lightning lineup will be bolstered tonight at home by the expected return of center Anthony Cirelli and defenseman Zach Bogosian.
Cirelli has been sidelined the previous two games with a lower-body injury suffered in last Tuesday's win over Montreal. He took part in Tampa Bay's optional morning skate, practicing for a second-straight day.
Bogosian took warmups in Ottawa on Saturday but was a late scratch from the lineup, Lightning head coach Jon Cooper saying after the game he was dealing with some issues stemming from Thursday's victory over the Maple Leafs and had to sit as a result.
Bogosian didn't take part in the optional skate Tuesday but is expected to be in the lineup against the Kings.

"We'll hoping they'll be back tonight," Cooper said. "We'll see in warmups. They should be."
Meanwhile, Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point skated with the Lightning during morning skate, the first time both have been on the ice for a practice since sustaining long-term injuries. Point continued to wear a red no-contact jersey like he did for Monday's training session. He and Kucherov were the first ones on the ice for morning skate, arriving about 30 minutes before the rest of the team and remained out when their teammates emerged from the tunnel to take part in drills.
Cooper said the timetable for both to return hasn't change but added Point is closer than Kucherov.
Asked if Point might be able to get into a game before Christmas, Cooper said: "That would be a Christmas present if that was the case."
Also, Erik Cernak won't be back anytime soon according to Cooper. The rugged defenseman suffered his second major injury of the season December 4 in Boston and will miss a fifth-straight game tonight with a lower-body injury. Cooper said he won't be back before Christmas.
"Cernak's going to be a little longer," he said.