Flyers at Lightning
After finishing third in the Calder Trophy voting last season, Tampa Bay Lightning center Tyler Johnson continues to produce with a team-high 12 points in the first 10 games. Johnson looks to extend his career-best points and assists streaks to eight games as the Lightning host the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday. The Flyers have won three straight and are 4-1-2 since losing their first two contests, including Ray Emery’s 38-save effort in Tuesday's 3-2 overtime victory versus Los Angeles.
Philadelphia has posted 18 goals in its four victories and needs more of the same against scoring-rich Tampa Bay, which is 7-1-0 in its last eight games against the Flyers. Steven Stamkos leads the Lightning with six goals and Philadelphia must also contain the line of the Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Nikita Kucherov, which collected eight points in the 7-3 victory over Arizona on Tuesday. Tampa Bay outscored the Flyers 14-7 in three wins last season.
TV: 7:30 p.m. ET, CSN Philadelphia, Sun Sports (Tampa Bay)
ABOUT THE FLYERS (4-3-2): Emery is a major part of Philadelphia’s emergence, gaining points in all five of his appearances (4-0-1) with a .924 save percentage. The Flyers have been balanced on the offensive end as Jakub Voracek leads with way with 13 points while captain Claude Giroux has contributed 11 and Wayne Simmonds boasts five goals and a team-best plus-6 rating. Former Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier missed the last six games with a foot injury, but is closing in on a return.
ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (6-3-1): Kucherov recorded only two points in the first seven games of the season before putting up seven in the least three, including his first career hat trick Tuesday. Stamkos played right wing with center Valtteri Filppula against Arizona while Alex Killorn returned from injury to play on the left side, but that may change if right wing Ryan Callahan (lower-body injury) can play Thursday. Center Brian Boyle is proving to be a solid free-agent signing with three goals and a plus-5 rating.
OVERTIME
1. Philadelphia LW Michael Raffl collected three goals and an assist in his last two contests.
2. Tampa Bay D Anton Stralman owns a plus-9 rating, tied for the best among blue-liners in the league.
3. The Flyers produced 85 shots on goal combined against Los Angeles and Anaheim -- the top two teams in the Western Conference.