Tampa Bay visits Colorado after Point’s hat trick #Tampa #Bay #visits #Colorado #Points #hat #trick

Tampa Bay Lightning (10-6-5, third in the Atlantic Division) vs. Colorado Avalanche (14-6, first in the Central Division)

Denver; Monday, 9 p.m. EST

BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Colorado Avalanche after Brayden Point recorded a hat trick in the Lightning’s 8-2 win against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Colorado has a 14-6 record overall and a 7-2-0 record in home games. The Avalanche serve 11.7 penalty minutes per game to rank fifth in NHL play.

Tampa Bay is 10-6-5 overall and 4-4-2 on the road. The Lightning have given up 74 goals while scoring 78 for a +4 scoring differential.

Monday’s game is the first time these teams match up this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Mikko Rantanen has 12 goals and 14 assists for the Avalanche. Cale Makar has two goals and 17 assists over the last 10 games.

Nikita Kucherov has 15 goals and 20 assists for the Lightning. Point has scored six goals with nine assists over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Avalanche: 7-3-0, averaging 4.4 goals, 7.6 assists, 4.5 penalties and 11.9 penalty minutes while giving up three goals per game.

Lightning: 5-3-2, averaging 3.8 goals, seven assists, 4.7 penalties and 13.2 penalty minutes while giving up 3.7 goals per game.

INJURIES: Avalanche: Chris Wagner: out (achilles), Artturi Lehkonen: out (undisclosed), Gabriel Landeskog: out (knee), Pavel Francouz: out for season (groin), Samuel Girard: out (personal).

Lightning: Conor Sheary: out (upper-body).