Pens face Lightning Thursday night in Pittsburgh

%09%0APittsburgh+Penguins+vs.+Tampa+Bay+Lightning.+%2358+Kristopher+Letang%2C+%2335+%28goalie%29+Ty+Conklin%2C+%2387+Sidney+Crosby

Elliot from Castro Valley, California, USA [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)], via Wikimedia Commons

Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning. #58 Kristopher Letang, #35 (goalie) Ty Conklin, #87 Sidney Crosby

After they lost against the New Jersey Devils 4-2 on Tuesday night, the 5X time Stanley Cup Champions Pittsburgh Penguins will play the Tampa Bay Lightning Thursday night at 7 p.m. at PPG Paints Arena.

The Tampa Bay Lightning had an unexpected 2017-2018 season as they made the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs and were eliminated by the Washington Capitals in seven games. The Lightning finished the 2017-2018 season with a record of 54 wins, 23 losses, and five overtime losses, which equated to 113 points and a first-place finish in the Atlantic Division.

The Lightning lost 2-1 in Buffalo Tuesday night and are on a four-game road trip that continues in Pittsburgh Thursday night. They are now 12-5-1 and in first place in the Atlantic Division.

The Penguins are off to a somewhat rocky 2018-2019 season start and just coming off a disappointing 4-2 loss against the New Jersey on Tuesday night. They are now 7-6-3 and are in seventh place in the Metropolitan Division.

When Thursday night comes around, the Penguins and the Lightning will meet for the first time this season, then they will play each other two more times, one in Pittsburgh on January 28, and the other in Tampa Bay on February 9.

Even without Anton Stralman and Ondrej Palat for the Lightning, it should be an entertaining game on Thursday night in Pittsburgh.