5 THINGS: Lightning vs. Flyers

QUICK STATS
Season Series (2015-16): 2-0-1
All-Time Record: 91 gp (45-34-8-4)
Leading Scorers: PHI: 17pts, Voracek (7g-10a) & Giroux (4g-13a) | TBL: 22pts, Kucherov (9g-13a)
Power Play: (PHI: 17-for-63, 27.0%, 2nd) (TBL: 18-for-70, 25.7%, 3rd)
Penalty Kill: (PHI: 42-of-53, 79.2%, 24th) (TBL: 47-for-56, 83.9%, 13th)
1. HOMESTAND FINALE
The Flyers wrap up their four-game homestand today… So far they are unbeaten in regulation (2-0-1) and have received at least a point from 23 different players during this stretch, with only two players recording more than one point (Voracek & Gudas, 2 pts)… Ivan Provorov has led the team in ice time with nearly 21 minutes (20:40) and Steve Mason has a 1.82 GAA and stopped 73 of 78 shots for a .936 sv. pct. appearing in all three contests.
2. D-TERMINED
The Flyers defense leads the NHL in most goals, assists AND points so far… They have combined for 14 goals, 41 assists and 55 points through 18 games, after posting six points in their 5-2 win over the Jets on Thursday… The Flyers defense has also recorded a point in 14 consecutive games… The next closest defense is the NY Rangers with 49 points… Despite leading the NHL, the Flyers don't have one defenseman in the Top 10 of individual defensemen scoring or in the Top 50 of average ice time among d-men.

3. NO STAMKOS, LIGHTNING STILL WIN
The Lightning will play without their captain and leading goal scorer, Steven Stamkos, who is out indefinitely with a knee injury… They won their only game without Stamkos, 4-1 at Buffalo, and went 11-5 when he was injured during last year's playoffs heading into Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals against Pittsburgh… Tampa has had a good November, going 6-2-1 and are in the midst of a three-game winning streak where they have scored four goals in each of the wins and outscored their opponent, 12-4… The Lightning have led after the second period in 10 of their first 18 games, winning nine of those times, going 9-0-1.
4. SPECIAL FACTORS
Special teams could be a determining factor in today's game… These two teams are in the NHL's Top 5 on the power play. The Flyers are 2nd in the league with 17 power-play goals and at 27%, while the Lightning lead all teams with 18 power-play goals and are 3rd at 25.7%… On the other end, the Flyers penalty kill has improved, going perfect on the PK in five of their last six games, allowing just two goals (14-of-16) in that span.
5. PLAYERS TO WATCH:
FLYERS (D: #9 - Ivan Provorov)
The Flyers rookie recorded an assist and led the team with four blocked shots in the their 5-2 win over the Jets… He is one of two Flyers d-men to appear in all 18 games so far (Streit)… Provorov has seven assists, five of which have come at home, and is still searching for his first NHL goal… He has also logged over 20 minutes of ice time in four of his last seven games and ranks sixth among all rookies in average TOI (19:58).
LIGHTNING (RW: #86 - Nikita Kucherov)
It will be the second straight game that the Flyers will take on the NHL's leading scorer as Nikita Kucherov has 22 points (9g-13a) in 17 games for Tampa… He is riding a three game goal-scoring streak and a three-game point streak where he has averaged two points per-game with four goals and six points… Kucherov has not gone two games in-a-row without recording a point this season.
TODAY AT 50
On November 19, 1967, the team that later came to be known as the Broad Street Bullies went through their first 15 games of their inaugural season without a fighting major… The first fight in franchise history came on this date as a multi-player fight. Pat Hannigan and Larry Zeidel on the Flyers against Gordon Kannegiesser and Noel Picard for St. Louis Blues. The fights erupted immediately after the final horn as the Flyers walked away with a 3-2 victory.