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The Tampa Bay Lightning could receive a major boost to their lineup tonight with the potential return of top center Brayden Point against the Boston Bruins. Point missed Tampa Bay's 3-2 overtime win over the Anaheim Ducks on Sunday due to a lower-body injury.
According to The Athletic's Fluto Shinzawa, Point is slated to play in the crucial Atlantic Division matchup on Wednesday.
Before his injury, the 28-year-old was enjoying another exceptional season with 41 goals and 80 points in 70 games.
Getting Point back against the Bruins would help counter Boston's scoring depth and keep pace in a tight playoff race. The Bruins currently lead the Atlantic Division, while the Lightning are fourth in the Division.
With Brayden Point's return, Steven Stamkos will be a healthy scratch.
Brayden Point's Tampa Bay Lightning vs Boston Bruins: Game Preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning host the Boston Bruins tonight in a pivotal Atlantic Division clash. Tampa Bay comes into tonight's contest with a 6-0-1 record over their last seven games.
The Lightning score 3.48 goals per game and allow 3.31. Their power play success rate is 29.0%, while their penalty kill rate is 82.4%.
Nikita Kucherov leads the Lightning offense with a stellar 123 points on the season with 41 goals and 82 assists. Victor Hedman has 69 points with 12 goals and 57 assists. Andrei Vasilevskiy (26-16-2) holds down the crease with a .897 save percentage and 2.94 goals against average.
The Bruins are back after a two-game loss with a 4-3 victory over Florida on Tuesday. The Bruins are scoring 3.32 goals and conceding 2.74 per game. They've 23.6% play success rate and 82.1 penalty kill rate.
David Pastrnak paces Boston with 101 points by 45 goals and 56 assists. Brad Marchand has 63 points with 27 goals and 36 assists. Jeremy Swayman has been strong in net, boasting a 23-8-8 record with a .916 save percentage and 2.58 goals against.
Tampa Bay is favored at -111 odds on the moneyline, while the visiting Bruins check in at -110 underdogs.
