Lightning face tough test in visiting Predators

The Tampa Bay Lightning hardly resemble last season's Presidents' Trophy winning team, but three wins in their past four contests can be construed as a step in the right direction.

The Lightning look to keep moving forward on Saturday when they conclude a three-game homestand against the Nashville Predators.

Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper contends that his team is traveling the right path for success, even though it's not on the fast track toward breaking regular-season records the way the 2018-19 edition did.

"We have a plan. That's what we have. And we are slowly improving and executing our plan. It's been really nice to watch what we've done," Cooper said following the Lightning's 3-2 victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday.

"We've won three of four. We've played some playoff teams in that run. When you get rewarded with the results, it stamps a little validity to it. But there's so much time left."

There wasn't much time left -- 56.8 seconds to be exact -- when defenseman Victor Hedman scored the go-ahead goal late in the third period on Wednesday. The 2018 Norris Trophy recipient has tallied in back-to-back contests and recorded one point in all but one game this season.

Hedman also scored a goal in his lone meeting with the Predators in 2018-19, however Tampa Bay was unable to prevent a season sweep following a 3-2 setback in the Music City on Nov. 19.

Pekka Rinne turned aside 29 shots in that contest to improve to 9-0-1 with a 2.36 goals-against average and .923 save percentage in 10 career encounters vs. Tampa Bay.

The 2018 Vezina Trophy winner likely will be in net against the Lightning after recording his 56th career shutout in a 26-save performance in Thursday's 4-0 victory over Minnesota.

Rinne also extended his season-opening point streak to seven games (6-0-1), one shy of the franchise record. Tomas Vokoun started the 2005-06 campaign with a 7-0-1 mark.

"We've started the season playing really good hockey, but at times we've lost some tough games, games that we felt we could've won," the 36-year-old Rinne said. "It's really important we play well at home, and these past two games it's been huge for us. It's a good confidence builder."

"He's the man around here," forward Colton Sissons said of Rinne. "We love playing in front of him. He works so hard and every shutout he gets, he earns."

Sissons has scored in back-to-back games to boost his goal total to four, one shy of Viktor Arvidsson and Filip Forsberg for top honors on the club.

Tampa Bay forward Steven Stamkos also has four goals to share the team lead in that department, while his 10 points are one better than reigning Hart Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov.

"Our group is known as a high-flying, high-octane offensive team," the 29-year-old Stamkos said. "It's great. It's entertaining hockey. But come playoff time, it's a different animal. We realize that."

Reigning Vezina Trophy recipient Andrei Vasilevskiy answered his worst start of the season with arguably his best, a 37-save performance vs. Sidney Crosby and the Penguins.

Vasilevskiy, however, has been flustered by the Predators, posting an 0-3-1 record with a 3.29 goals-against average and .854 save percentage in five career meetings (four starts).

--Field Level Media