Lightning vs. Stars Live Stream, TV Schedule, Odds and Pregame 4 Comments

The Tampa Bay Lightning will attempt to take a commanding 3-1 lead over the Dallas Stars in the 2020 Stanley Cup Final on Friday night.

Bolts captain Steven Stamkos returned from a six-month injury absence to score a first-period goal in Game 3 to help spark Tampa to a 5-2 win. The teams had split to first two matchups of the series, with the Stars winning 4-1 in Game 1 and the Lightning coming out on top 3-2 in Game 2.

Let's check out all of the important details for Friday's Game 4 clash. That's followed by a closer look at what to expect as Dallas attempts to pull back level in the Final.

Key Information

Where: Rogers Place in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada

When: Friday, Sept. 25, at 8 p.m. ET

Watch: NBC

Live Stream: NBC Sports Live

Odds (via DraftKings): Lightning -167 (bet $167 to win $100); Stars +145 (bet $100 to win $145) 

Game 4 Preview

Tampa Bay came out buzzing in the first period of Stamkos' return. The team found the net twice in the first seven minutes. Nikita Kucherov opened the scoring and then the captain netted his 24th career playoff goal to give the Lightning a lead they'd never relinquish.

The 30-year-old center took just five shifts, however, and he hinted after the win Wednesday that he's not all the way back to full strength, saying he's dealing with an "issue," leaving his availability for the remainder of the series up in the air.

"There are a lot of behind-the-scenes things I can share with you after the season," Stamkos told reporters. "But I'm focused on winning right now, and tonight was a step in the right direction."

While the Lightning have the depth to win the Cup without Stamkos, his presence would likely be enough to push them across the finish line without much drama. If he's forced back out of the lineup, the door opens a little more for a Stars comeback.

Ideally for the Bolts, he'll at least be available for a niche role, potentially as a power-play specialist and late-game situations if they're playing from behind.

"These whole playoffs we've had contributions from everyone," Brayden Point said after Game 3. "Some guys are asked to score goals, so it's nice to see those guys put the puck in the net. I think the strength of our team has been the depth, and I think tonight was no different; even if guys aren't scoring, they're sprinting out the next shift and I think that's what happened tonight."

Meanwhile, Stars goalie Anton Khudobin entered the Final as a top Conn Smythe Trophy candidate, but he's struggled to find the same form against a high-powered Tampa offense. He's posted a 3.40 goals-against average and .906 save percentage through three games.

Khudobin was pulled after the second period of Game 3 with the Lightning up 5-1. He was replaced by rookie Jake Oettinger.

"I don't know what happened," Khudobin told reporters. "We'll figure it out. Talk about it tomorrow. Right now, we just keep moving forward."

He added: "I wasn't thinking about it. Coach made a decision to shake it up or change something. I didn't feel like I needed to get rest. If he decides to play me in Game 4, I will be ready."

Stars head coach Rick Bowness noted it was a move to get his starter a break before back-to-back games on Friday and Saturday.

"The kid has battled so hard the whole playoffs. You just give him a breather. The back-to-back are coming up," he said. "We gave the kid [Oettinger] more experience and gave Dobby a break. Look, he's been a rock for us back there. We don't get here without him. No one gets to the final without great goaltending."

Dallas needs a strong bounce-back performance Friday, not only from Khudobin but the lineup as a whole, if it's going to avoid a likely insurmountable deficit.