5 Things: Flyers at Lightning

GAME NOTES

METRO & WILD CARD RACE
M1 - WSH: 90 pts - 13 games left
M2 - PHI: 89 pts - 13 games left
M3 - PIT: 86 pts - 13 games left / 1 vs Flyers
WC1 - CAR: 81 pts - 14 games left
WC2 - CBJ: 81 pts - 12 games left
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
NYI: 80 pts - 14 games left / 1 vs Flyers
NYR: 79 pts - 12 games left / 1 vs Flyers
FLA: 78 pts - 13 games left

QUICK STATS
Season Series: 0-2-0
All-Time Record: 102gp (47-40-8-7)
Leading Scorer:
PHI - Travis Konecny: 61-pts (24g-37a)
TBL - Nikita Kucherov: 85-pts (33g-52a)

1. BOUNCE BACK BOYS

The Flyers enter tonight after suffering a 2-0 loss on Tuesday to Boston and look to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time since they dropped four straight from Dec. 31-Jan. 7... Since that four-game skid on their post-holiday road trip, the Flyers have won seven straight games immediately following a loss, including both games after they have suffered a shut out loss... Overall, the Flyers own a 15-10-2 mark in games following a loss this season.

2. STRIKING RESEMBLANCE

Despite being one of the NHL's best teams, T-3rd in the league with 92 points, the Lightning have dropped back-to-back games and are winless in seven of their last 10 contests, going 3-6-1... The Lightning are the highest powered offense in the NHL, leading in both goals (243) and goals per-game (3.47)... They also rank in the Top 10 (T-7th) for fewest goals-against per-game, tied with the Flyers at 2.77... The Lightning open up a three-game homestand tonight and own the second-best power play in the NHL on home ice at 29.7%.

3. THUNDER STRUCK

This is the third and final meeting of the year between the two teams with Tampa taking the first two meetings by a combine 6-3 score... All nine goals in the season series have been scored by different players and two of the three Flyers goals have come on the power play... The Flyers have the longest losing skid against the Lightning than any other NHL team - they have dropped seven straight, going 0-4-3, dating back to their last win (Dec. 29, 2017)... The Flyers are looking to avoid a season sweep of no points against the Lightning for just the third time in team history and first since going 0-3-0 in 2013-14.  

4. US, THEM, US and THEM

US: The Flyers at 29-0-2 are one of only three teams in the NHL (St. Louis and Florida) to have not suffered a regulation loss when leading after the second period... THEM: Brayden Point averages over a point per-game against the Flyers with 10 points (6g-4a) in nine meetings, including seven points (3g-4a) in five games at Amalie Arena... US and THEM: The Lightning are ranked second in the NHL for most goals scored in the second period (89), while the Flyers rank third in the NHL for the most goals scored in the third period (87).

5. PLAYERS TO WATCH

FLYERS (C: #14 - Sean Couturier)

Couturier has been held scoreless in his last two games, but has only been held without a point one time this entire season (Oct. 24-27)... Couturier leads the team in scoring after the team has suffered a loss - he has 34 points (14g-20a) in the 27 games that have followed a loss, which also includes a streak of 13 straight games he has recorded a point in games after a loss with 22 points (9g-13a) in that stretch.

LIGHTNING (LW: #86 - Nikita Kucherov)

Kucherov has a four-game point streak (2g-3a), but has also recorded at least a point in 23 of the last 24 games he has appeared in... Since the New Year, Kucherov ranks second in the NHL in scoring with 44 points (20g-24a) in 31 games... Against the Flyers, Kucherov has a five-game point streak on home ice, recording 12 points (3g-9a) in that five-game stretch at Amalie Arena.