Preview: Surging Nikita Kucherov leads Lightning into home showdown against Golden Knights

TV: FOX Sports Sun

TIME: Pregame coverage begins at 6:30 p.m.

Vegas Golden Knights (27-20-7, third in the Pacific Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (32-15-5, second in the Atlantic Division)

BOTTOM LINE

Vegas visits Tampa Bay after the Golden Knights shut out Nashville 3-0. Marc-Andre Fleury earned the victory in the net for Vegas after recording 19 saves.

The Lightning have gone 15-7-2 in home games. Tampa Bay has scored 186 goals and is fourth in the NHL averaging 3.6 per game. Nikita Kucherov leads the team with 24.

The Golden Knights are 13-10-4 on the road. Vegas has given up 35 power-play goals, killing 79.8% of opponent chances.

The matchup Tuesday is the first meeting of the season between the two teams.

TOP PERFORMERS

Kucherov leads the Lightning with 61 points, scoring 24 goals and registering 37 assists. Steven Stamkos has scored six goals over the last 10 games for Tampa Bay.

Max Pacioretty has recorded 48 total points while scoring 21 goals and totaling 27 assists for the Golden Knights. Reilly Smith has scored six goals over the last 10 games for Vegas.

LAST 10 GAMES

Golden Knights: 4-5-1, averaging 2.9 goals, 4.1 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.4 penalty minutes while giving up 3.1 goals per game with a .883 save percentage.

Lightning: 7-2-1, averaging 3.1 goals, 5.3 assists, 3.2 penalties and 6.7 penalty minutes while giving up 1.7 goals per game with a .941 save percentage.