The Tampa Bay Lightning have scuffled over the past two video games, however a matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers may be simply what the physician ordered.
The Lightning hope to keep away from a 3rd straight defeat Thursday after they go to the Flyers, who goal to snap an excellent longer skid.
Following a stretch of 10 wins in 11 video games, Tampa Bay has dropped two in a row by a mixed margin of 8-1. They fell behind 3-0 in opposition to the Carolina Hurricanes on Tuesday and by no means recovered in an eventual 4-1 defeat.
“On the finish of the day, it is a 60-minute recreation,” Tampa Bay captain Victor Hedman mentioned. “(The Hurricanes) are a very good staff and once you give them possibilities, they will come at you.”
The Lightning have struggled with turnovers in every of the final two video games, persevering with to place goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy in a tricky spot.
“We will not pat ourselves on the shoulder and say good job,” Hedman mentioned after Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Boston. “We’re chasing, initially, a playoff spot, however positions in our division are up for grabs and we need to win as many video games as we will to place us in the very best state of affairs come postseason.”
Including damage to insult, Lightning ahead Nikita Kucherov left Tuesday’s recreation in the course of the second intermission and didn’t return. Tampa Bay coach John Cooper didn’t have an replace after the sport.
Kucherov in road garments could be a welcome sight for the Flyers, who will take all of the breaks they will get at this level. The staff has misplaced the primary 5 video games of its seven-game homestand, together with a 5-2 defeat in opposition to the Ottawa Senators on Tuesday.
Philadelphia has amassed simply eight targets throughout its five-game slide.
“It is a actually irritating, powerful stretch for us,” Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler mentioned after the Ottawa loss. “Tonight, we competed. Aside from that stretch within the second the place we have been permitting them to have too many odd-man rushes — we now have to get that out of our recreation — I assumed we have been supporting the puck significantly better and the [defensemen] have been in a position to rise up and pinch very well. We simply have to get out of this collectively.”
One of many Flyers’ targets was scored by defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who has tallied in consecutive video games for the primary time in his profession. He has three targets in March after getting into the month with solely two on the season.
“I really feel fairly assured in my recreation,” Drysdale mentioned. “However in saying that, as a staff, we have to win and I can nonetheless be lots higher. Made a bunch of errors defensively, triggered a pair possibilities in opposition to.”
That is the second of three conferences between the Lightning and Flyers this season. Philadelphia posted a 2-1 win on Nov. 7 as Owen Tippett scored late in regulation after which the clincher within the shootout.
The groups meet once more Monday in Tampa Bay.
–Discipline Degree Media
