Lightning vs. Bruins: Projected lines, storylines, injuries

The top two teams in the Eastern Conference during the regular season face off in the Second Round of the playoffs beginning on Saturday afternoon.
It took Tampa Bay five games to get past the Devils in Round 1, while the Bruins advanced after surviving a seven-game challenge from Toronto.

Lines from Thursday's practice. Subejct to change.
Forwards
J.T. Miller - Steven Stamkos - Nikita Kucherov
Ondrej Palat - Brayden Point - Tyler Johnson
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - Yanni Gourde
Chris Kunitz - Cedric Paquette - Ryan Callahan
Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Dan Girardi
Ryan McDonagh - Anton Stralman
Braydon Coburn - Mikhail Sergachev
Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy, Louis Domingue or Peter Budaj
Saturday's Matchup
The Lightning continue on in the 2018 Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Boston Bruins in a best-of-seven, Eastern Conference Semifinal series...Tampa Bay and Boston have played once previously in the postseason, the Bruins defeating the Lightning in seven games in the 2011 Eastern Conference Final...The Bolts finished 1-3-0 against Boston during the regular season, Tampa Bay's lone victory coming in the teams' last meeting April 3 at AMALIE Arena, Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy stopping all 33 shots he faced to record his eighth shutout of the season, setting a Tampa Bay franchise record for most shutouts in a single season...The Bruins earned a 4-2 win in Boston March 29 despite a two-point night from Victor Hedman (goal, assist)...The Bruins blanked the Lightning 3-0 March 17 at AMALIE Arena, the only time this season Tampa Bay was shut out...Boston also took the first regular season meeting between the two teams, a 3-2 win Nov. 29 at TD Garden...Dan Girardi has recorded an assist in two-straight games vs. BOS...J.T. Miller has scored a goal in two-straight games vs. BOS...Braydon Coburn has tallied three assists in three games vs. BOS this season...Victor Hedman has scored a goal in two-straight games vs. BOS and recorded 2-1--3 over that span...Nikita Kucherov has tallied an assist in two-straight games vs. BOS and three of the four regular season meetings with the Bruins.
Saturday's Storylines
The Lightning are in the Eastern Conference Semifinals for the third time in the last four seasons...Tampa Bay is 9-12 all-time in Game 1s...The Lightning will be opening a playoff series on home ice for the 12th time in franchise history... Tampa Bay is 13-8 all-time in playoff series and 8-2 when holding home-ice advantage...The Lightning own an all-time playoff record of 66-55, including a 33-28 record at home and a 32-26 record at AMALIE Arena...The Bolts are 29-23 in the postseason under head coach Jon Cooper...The Lightning enter Game 1 with 1,247 games of postseason experience on the roster...Chris Kunitz has played in more playoff games (166) than any NHL player remaining in the 2018 playoffs and is looking for his third-straight Stanley Cup and fifth overall...Victor Hedman has played in the most playoff games while with the Bolts (70) and ranks first all-time in franchise history for playoff games...Tampa Bay set franchise records for wins (54), road wins (25), points (113), road points (53), goals (290), home goals (145) and road goals (145) during the 2017-18 regular season...The Lightning won their third all-time division title in 2017-18 (also: Southeast Division titles in 2002-03 & 2003-04) and finished as the No. 1 team in the Eastern Conference for the second time in franchise history (also: 2003-04).
Injuries
2017-18 Regular Season Man Games Lost: 132
2018 Playoff Man Games Lost: 7
Current injuries
Adam Erne - Lower body (out indefinitely; injured March 26) - 11 games (5 playoff games)
Transactions
April 19 - Signed F Michael Bournival to a 1-year, 2-way contract
April 19 - Signed F Otto Somppi to a 3-year, entry-level contract
April 19 - Re-assigned F Matthew Peca to AHL Syracuse
In the Nik of Time
Tampa Bay right winger Nikita Kucherov scored the series-clinching goal in Game 5 vs. NJD for his third game-winning goal in five games so far in the 2018 playoffs...Kucherov scored five goals and added five assists in the opening round to set a Lightning franchise record for most points in a postseason series, bettering the old mark of nine set multiple times previously (last: Tyler Johnson - 2015 ECF vs. New York Rangers, 4-5--9)...With his goal in Game 5, Kucherov tied Vincent Lecavalier for second-most playoff points in Lightning history.
Kucherov needs six goals to tie Martin St. Louis for most playoff goals in Lightning history.
Kucherov ranks tied for fourth in the NHL for 2018 playoff goals...Kucherov ranks tied for fourth in the League for 2018 playoff scoring.
Kucherov ranks third in the NHL for points per game (2.00) in the 2018 playoffs...Kucherov has recorded at least one point in every game this postseason, his five-game playoff point streak a career high...Kucherov had three multi-point games in the first round...Kucherov is the Lightning franchise leader for multi-goal playoff outings (7) and games with at least three points (8) in the postseason...Since the 2015 playoffs, Kucherov leads the NHL for goals with 26 (second: PIT's Sidney Crosby - 23) and ranks tied for second for scoring with 51 points (first: PIT's Sidney Crosby - 65 pts.).
The Big Cat
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 26-of-27 saves in Game 5 vs. NJD for his second-consecutive playoff start giving up one goal (prior to Game 4 at NJD, Vasilevskiy had never allowed less than two goals in a playoff start)...Vasilevskiy improved to 8-6 for his playoff career and picked up his first victory in a clinching game (was 0-2 previously)...Vasilevskiy ranks fourth in the NHL for save percentage (.941) and fifth for goals-against average (2.01) in the 2018 playoffs...Vasilevskiy's .927 career playoff save percentage ranks first all-time in Lightning history among goalies with five or more appearances...Vasilevskiy is tied for third with Dwayne Roloson among Lightning goaltenders for playoff games played all-time (17) and will move into sole possession of third place with his next playoff appearance... Vasilevskiy was named a finalist for the 2018 Vezina Trophy along with NSH's Pekka Rinne and WPG's Connor Hellebuyck and is looking to become the first Lightning goalie to win the Vezina (Ben Bishop came closest after finishing second in 2016)...Vasilevskiy set single season franchise records for wins (44), road wins (18), shutouts (8), road shutouts (6) and saves (1,908) during the 2017-18 regular season.
Stammer Time
Bolts captain Steven Stamkos recorded an assist in Game 5 vs. NJD, giving him at least one assist/point in all five games so far in these playoffs...With points in five straight games to begin the 2018 playoffs, Stamkos matched his career high for a playoff scoring streak recorded previously from May 3-12, 2015 (3-4--7 over 5 games).
Serg-ing Ahead
Tampa Bay rookie defenseman Mikhail Sergachev scored the opening goal in Game 5 vs. NJD for his first career playoff goal...Sergachev (19 years, 300 days) became the youngest player in Lightning history to score a goal in the Stanley Cup playoffs, eclipsing the mark set by Jason Wiemer (20 years, 2 days) in Game 1 of the 1996 Conference Quarterfinals at PHI...Sergachev became the third Lightning rookie defenseman all-time to score a goal in the playoffs, joining Paul Ranger (2) and Nikita Nesterov (1)...Sergachev scored the first goal by a Bolts blueliner in these playoffs.
Head of the Class
Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman is looking for his first point of the 2018 playoffs...Hedman was named a finalist for the 2018 Norris Trophy, joining LAK's Drew Doughty and NSH's P.K. Subban...No Lightning defenseman has ever won the Norris; Hedman came closest after finishing third in 2017.
Killing It
Bolts left winger Alex Killorn scored at least one goal in the first three games of Tampa Bay's opening round series vs. New Jersey and ranks second on the Lightning for goals (4) in the 2018 playoffs...Killorn ranks tied for ninth in the NHL for goals in these playoffs...Three of Killorn's four playoff goals have come on the power play, and he ranks tied for first in the Leauge for power-play goals...Killorn has more power-play goals in the playoffs than he did during the entire 2017-18 regular season (2).