Mar 9, 2024; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) is congratulated by proper wing Nikita Kucherov (86) after he scored a purpose in opposition to the Philadelphia Flyers through the first interval at Amalie Area. Necessary Credit score: Kim Klement Neitzel-Imagn Photos The Tampa Bay Lightning have scuffled during the last two video games, however a matchup with the Philadelphia Flyers could be simply what the physician ordered.
The Lightning hope to keep away from a 3rd straight defeat Thursday once they go to the Flyers, who goal to snap a fair 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 stated. “(The Hurricanes) are a superb workforce and whenever 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 troublesome spot.
“We won’t pat ourselves on the shoulder and say good job,” Hedman stated after Saturday’s 4-0 loss to Boston. “We’re chasing, at the beginning, 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 absolute best state of affairs come postseason.”
Including harm to insult, Lightning ahead Nikita Kucherov left Tuesday’s recreation through the second intermission and didn’t return. Tampa Bay coach John Cooper didn’t have an replace after the sport.
Kucherov in road garments can be a welcome sight for the Flyers, who will take all of the breaks they will get at this level. The workforce 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 objectives throughout its five-game slide.
“It is a actually irritating, powerful stretch for us,” Flyers defenseman Nick Seeler stated after the Ottawa loss. “Tonight, we competed. Aside from that stretch within the second the place we had been permitting them to have too many odd-man rushes — we have now to get that out of our recreation — I believed we had been supporting the puck significantly better and the [defensemen] had been capable of rise up and pinch very well. We simply must get out of this collectively.”
One of many Flyers’ objectives was scored by defenseman Jamie Drysdale, who has tallied in consecutive video games for the primary time in his profession. He has three objectives in March after coming into the month with solely two on the season.
“I really feel fairly assured in my recreation,” Drysdale stated. “However in saying that, as a workforce, we have to win and I can nonetheless be so much higher. Made a bunch of errors defensively, brought about 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.
–Subject Degree Media
