The Pittsburgh Penguins (11-4-3, 25 points) head south to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning (8-7-2, 18 points) on Thursday night, beginning a quick two-game road trip to face the NHL's teams from the Sunshine State. It's the first meeting between the teams since the 2011 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Lightning came back from a 3-1 series deficit to stun the Penguins and advance to the next round.
Pittsburgh defeated the Colorado Avalanche, 6-3, in its most recent outing to pick up its third victory in its last four games. That victory required an impressive rally on the Penguins' part, as they trailed, 3-1, after the first period. Brooks Orpik tied the score just 1:12 into the third period, igniting the Pens' comeback.
The Lightning have stumbled of late, losing their last two games by a combined score of 8-2. Most recently, they fell to the Winnipeg Jets on Monday night. Though having an uneven season overall, the Lightning have fared well at St. Pete Times Forum, going 6-1-0 there in the 2011/12 campaign.
The puck drops at 7:30 PM. Fox Sports Pittsburgh has the local telecast, while NHL Network will broadcast the game nationally.
For more Penguins coverage, please visit Pensburgh, SB Nation's Penguins blog. For the perspective from the other side, please visit Raw Charge, SB Nation's Lightning blog.