The Tampa Bay Lightning will visit the Toronto Maple Leafs on Saturday, March 7. The puck drops at 7:00 p.m. EST at Scotiabank Arena in Toronto. Tampa Bay enters the matchup with a strong 38-18-4 record, while Toronto is at 27-25-11 after a six-game losing skid.
The season series between the teams stands tied at 1-1. Toronto won the first meeting 2-0 on Dec. 8. Tampa Bay answered with a 4-2 victory on Feb. 25. This game will decide the season series winner.
Streaming and TV Options for the Lightning vs. Maple Leafs
TV Schedule in the United States: Fans inside the Lightning’s local broadcast area can watch the game on The Spot. Viewers outside both the Lightning and Maple Leafs local markets can see the game on NHL Network. NHL Center Ice will also carry the matchup across the United States.
TV Schedule in Canada: The game will air nationally on CBC and Sportsnet Ontario. Fans can also watch the broadcast through CBC Gem. Viewers should check local listings to confirm the correct channel in their region.
Live Streaming Options: In Canada, CBC Gem provides online streaming access for the game. Fans in the United States can prefer NHL Center Ice. Additionally, you can check on DIRECTV, Hulu + Live TV, and FuboTV if the primary options are not available to you.
Lightning vs. Maple Leafs Injury Report
Both teams are relatively healthy and will enter the game with the core players in the lineup. However, Tampa Bay has four names on the injury list ahead of Saturday’s game.
Center Nick Paul remains on injured reserve with an undisclosed injury. Forward Gage Goncalves carries a lower-body injury and currently holds a day-to-day status. Tampa Bay also lost two players for the remainder of the season, forward Dominic James and defenseman Maxwell Crozier.
Toronto also deals with one long-term absence on the blue line. Defenseman Chris Tanev suffered an abdomen injury and sits on injured reserve. The Maple Leafs ruled him out for the rest of the season.
Which Team between Tampa Bay and Toronto Has the Edge Entering Saturday?
Tampa Bay enters the game with stronger numbers in several areas. The Lightning score 3.45 goals per game and allow only 2.67. Toronto averages 3.16 goals but gives up 3.46 per contest, clearly showing a contrast.
Brayden Point is leading the Lightning offense and has 7 points over the last 5 games. Jake Guentzel has also produced offense with 5 assists during that stretch. Forward Nikita Kucherov is leading the team with 96 points this season.
Toronto still relies on its top offensive players to carry the attack. John Tavares and William Nylander remain the best scorers. Auston Matthews also drives the offense and leads the team in goals with 26.
In the goal, Tampa Bay holds a clear advantage. Andrei Vasilevskiy owns a 28-10-3 record with a 2.28 goals-against average and a .914 save percentage. Toronto could put either Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz in goal, but both of them have faced their own share of struggles this season.
Toronto sits 8th in the Atlantic division and continues to push for better form as the season moves deeper into March. With Tampa Bay leading the same division and Toronto trying to regain form, this Atlantic Division matchup should bring strong competition on Saturday night.
