The Tampa Bay Lightning visit the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday, November 12, 2026. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 PM ET as the clubs open their season series.
Tampa Bay enters the matchup with a 7-3-1 record and is winless in two straight games (0-1-1). Prior to those two results, the Lightning earned three consecutive victories by defeating the Seattle Kraken 4-3 in overtime, the Vancouver Canucks 4-2, and the Vegas Golden Knights 6-2 on the road. Tampa Bay then lost 6-3 at the Colorado Avalanche and 5-4 in overtime at the Utah Mammoth.
Columbus brings a 4-5-0 record into the contest after earning a 2-1 overtime victory against the Vegas Golden Knights in its most recent game. Before that result, the Blue Jackets dropped two straight, falling 2-1 at the Minnesota Wild and 6-2 to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Their last five games also include a 1-0 overtime victory against the New York Rangers and a 7-3 loss to the Florida Panthers.
This game is the first meeting between Tampa Bay and Columbus during the 2026-2027 regular season. The Lightning look to earn two points following consecutive road losses in which they allowed 11 total goals, while the Blue Jackets aim to string together consecutive wins after their low-scoring overtime victory against Vegas.
