![\"NHL:](\"https:\/\/images.deadspin.com\/tr:w-900\/24466546.jpg\")
Oct 11, 2024; Raleigh, North Carolina, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates his goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: James Guillory-Imagn Images <\/span><\/div>\n<\/section>\nThe Vancouver Canucks open a four-game road trip at the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night in search of their first win of the season.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The Canucks dropped back-to-back games on home ice last week to start the season. Vancouver squandered a 4-1 lead and fell 6-5 in overtime against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday, and followed it up with a 3-2 shootout loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on Friday.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “We lose two games in overtime, so we’ve got to be careful. Can we play better? Yeah. Could we do better coverage-wise in certain (areas)? Yeah, but that’s because of some new, unfamiliar players, and I’m not blaming them,” Canucks coach Rick Tocchet said. “Some guys haven’t played a lot of games. There’s just some coverage things that we’ve got to iron out.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Forward Brock Boeser has two goals through two games, while captain Quinn Hughes has a pair of assists.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n The two Canucks goaltenders have split the first two games this season. First was Arturs Silovs, who gave up all six goals against Calgary for a 5.94 goals-against average with a .769 save percentage.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Kevin Lankinen allowed two goals before the shootout against Philadelphia and posted a .935 save percentage. Lankinen has five career appearances against the Lightning and is 0-3-1 with a 4.37 GAA and an .872 save percentage.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Vancouver and Tampa Bay split the season series last season, with the Lightning winning 4-3 on Oct. 19 and the Canucks earning the split in a 4-1 win on Dec. 12.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n <\/p>\n Tampa Bay returns to action after having its Saturday home game against the Carolina Hurricanes postponed due to Hurricane Milton.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n On Friday, the Lightning opened the season with a 4-1 win over the Hurricanes in Raleigh, N.C. Forward Nikita Kucherov, last season’s Art Ross Trophy winner as the NHL’s leading scorer, had a natural hat trick in the third period and added an assist in the win.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “It was a great first step against Carolina, but you watch the tape again, and it’s like, ‘We’ve got a lot of work to do,'” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. “Our gamesmanship, our battle and our compete was really high. I loved the way we closed out the third (but) we’ve got to put ourselves in a bit better position to win these games moving forward.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “We’ll take our two points and keep pushing forward here this week.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Tampa Bay captain Victor Hedman had three assists, and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves in the win.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Jake Guentzel, who signed a seven-year contract with the Bolts in free agency over the summer, added two assists in his Lightning debut.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n “There’s a lot of really good things that came out of that game that we did well — obviously some things that we still got to tighten up,” forward Anthony Cirelli said. “A little bit too many odd-man rushes that were given up there — little things that I think we just have to focus on a little bit more and be ready for the next game.”<\/p>\n<\/section>\n Tuesday is the first of two meetings between the Canucks and Lightning. The two teams conclude the season series on Dec. 8 in Vancouver.<\/p>\n<\/section>\n