(SportsNetwork.com) - After having their longest winning streak of the season halted the last time out, the Tampa Bay Lightning hope to bounce back on Thursday when they host the struggling San Jose Sharks.
Tampa Bay had won six straight before ending a three-game road trip with Tuesday's shootout loss in Chicago. Despite the setback, the Bolts still haven't lost in regulation since a 7-2 defeat in Minnesota on Oct. 25.
The Lightning were tied 1-1 with the Blackhawks after 40 minutes and the clubs each scored once in the third period. After Chicago went up 2-1 early in the third, Nikita Kucherov tied the contest midway through the stanza. However, Patrick Kane scored the lone goal in the shootout to lift the Blackhawks to the 3-2 decision.
Cedric Paquette also scored in regulation for the Lightning, while Ben Bishop stopped 37-of-39 shots in a losing effort.
"We showed that we are more than capable of playing with those guys, but if you want to get those two points, you have to play a little bit more than 30 minutes," Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said.
Tampa lost leading scorer Tyler Johnson to an upper-body injury in the third period after he absorbed a cross-check from Chicago defenseman Brent Seabrook. Johnson, who is pacing the Bolts with 18 points, did not return to the game and is considered day-to-day.
The Lightning could get forward Alex Killorn back tonight after he sat out the last four games with an upper-body injury.
Bishop, who is 9-1-2 on the season, is expected to start tonight. He is 0-1-1 with a 4.39 goals against average in two career outings against San Jose.
The Sharks have lost three of their last four games, but they hope to get back on track tonight by continuing their recent mastery of the Lightning. San Jose has claimed two straight, four of five and eight of its last 10 meetings with the Bolts and is 3-1-1 in its past five trips to Central Florida.
San Jose began its current seven-game road trip with a win in Dallas but has since lost two straight in regulation, getting outscored by a combined 9-3 margin in consecutive setbacks against Chicago and Florida.
The Sharks dropped a 4-1 decision Tuesday against the Panthers. Florida grabbed a 2-0 lead with a pair of goals after the midway point of the first period and San Jose never recovered.
Joe Thornton accounted for San Jose's lone goal during the third period and Antti Niemi finished with 26 saves for the Sharks.
"We didn't execute at all or put two passes together," Sharks head coach Todd McLellan said. "Our defensive zone coverage and our awareness on the first couple goals hurt us a lot."
Niemi started Tuesday's test in Florida after Alex Stalock was a late scratch due to an undisclosed injury. Stalock was placed on injured reserve Wednesday, meaning Niemi is expected to start for a third straight game on Thursday.
Troy Grosenick was recalled from San Jose's AHL affiliate in Worcester to replace Stalock on the roster. Grosenick, 25, has never seen action in an NHL game.
The Sharks are 6-4-2 on the road this season and will continue their swing Saturday in Columbus.
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