Flyers at Lightning
The Philadelphia Flyers look to start another streak when they open a two-game, two-day trip to the Sunshine State with a battle against the NHL-best Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday afternoon. The Flyers had gained at least a point in 12 consecutive games (10-0-2) before suffering a 4-1 setback at home against Carolina on Thursday, but could move back into first place in the Metropolitan Division with a win.
“We’ve got to make sure we give ourselves a boost out of this,” Philadelphia coach Dave Hakstol told reporters after his team was outshot 28-14 in the first two periods Thursday. “. … This team has handled reality very well all year. And that’s what we have to do in this case.” The Flyers will go for their second win this season and third in four trips overall to Tampa Bay, which has been one of the best home teams in the league (21-6-2) and begins an eight-game stretch at Amalie Arena on Saturday. The Lightning have earned at least a point in six games, but rebounded from a lackluster effort in a 2-1 overtime loss to Buffalo at home Wednesday by grinding out a 5-4 overtime triumph at Dallas just a little more than 24 hours later. “Especially after the way we play last game, I thought we responded better in terms of playing with some more emotion, playing with some more jam,” Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos told reporters after scoring his 25th goal Thursday.
TV: 1 p.m. ET, NBCS Philadelphia, FS Sun (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (34-20-10): Goalie Petr Mrazek lost his first game Thursday in four outings since being acquired from Detroit and has stopped 103 of the 111 shots he’s faced in that stretch, but is only 1-8-1 in his career against Tampa Bay. Captain Claude Giroux recorded an assist in the loss to Carolina and has posted 17 of his team-leading 75 points in the last 11 games - six better than Jakub Voracek. Center Sean Couturier needs one goal to reach 100 in his career and 30 in a season for the first time, but has been held without a tally for six consecutive games despite recording four assists in that span.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (44-17-4): Right wing Nikita Kucherov, who leads the league with 82 points, could return to the lineup after missing the last two games with an upper-body injury. Brayden Point has picked up some of the slack with six goals in his last seven games while fellow center Anthony Cirelli registered a goal and an assist in his NHL debut at Dallas on Thursday. “It’s an unbelievable feeling,” Cirelli told reporters. “Obviously, just being here and being able to play in a game was pretty cool. To get a goal too, it’s something special. It’s something I’ll remember for the rest of my life.”
OVERTIME
1. Tampa Bay G Andrei Vasilevskiy, who was rested Thursday, leads the league with 37 wins and has a .948 save percentage in seven career games against the Flyers.
2. Philadelphia D Shayne Gostisbehere, a Florida native, has accumulated 17 points in his last 14 games to reach 50 for the first time in his career.
3. Lightning F Cory Conacher has scored in back-to-back games and needs three to match his career high of 11 with Tampa Bay and Ottawa in 2012-13.