Nuts & Bolts: Top seed in the East on the line Saturday vs. Philly

It's a two team race for the Eastern Conference's top seed entering the final game of the round robin.

Both the Lightning and Flyers enter Saturday's matchup a perfect 2-0-0 in round robin play. The Bolts have a pair of 3-2 victories over the Capitals and Bruins so far in Toronto. On the other side, the Flyers have been stingy defensively, allowing only two goals in their opening victories.

Lines from Friday's practice. Subject to change.

Forwards
Ondrej Palat - Brayden Point - Nikita Kucherov
Alex Killorn - Anthony Cirelli - Tyler Johnson
Barclay Goodrow - Yanni Gourde - Blake Coleman
Cedric Paquette - Mitchell Stephens - Carter Verhaeghe
Alexander Volkov - Mathieu Joseph

Defensemen
Victor Hedman - Zach Bogosian
Ryan McDonagh - Erik Cernak
Mikhail Sergachev - Kevin Shattenkirk
Braydon Coburn - Luke Schenn

Goaltenders
Andrei Vasilevskiy expected to start

Saturday's Matchup
The Lightning and the Flyers are meeting for the third time in 2019-20...Tampa Bay finished the regular season 2-0-0 against the Flyers... The Lightning shut out Philadelphia 1-0 on Jan. 11 at Wells Fargo Arena to cap a 10-game win streak (12/23-1/11), at the time tied for the longest win streak in franchise history (TBL since went on an 11-game win streak 1/29-2/17)...Pat Maroon scored the lone goal in that win for the Bolts at 7:27 of the 2nd period, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped all 23 shots for his second-straight shutout and second shutout of the season (20th career)...The Lightning also defeated Philly 5-3 at AMALIE Arena Feb. 15, their 10th victory in their franchise record 11-game win streak (1/29-2/17)...The Bolts never trailed in the contest, Alex Killorn (3:17 - 1st), Cedric Paquette (14:55 - 1st) and Carter Verhaeghe (2:35 - 2nd) scoring to push them in front 3-0 while Brayden Point (12:34 - 3rd) and Nikita Kucherov (19:38 - 3rd) added goals to keep them there...Andrei Vasilevskiy made 30-of-33 saves to earn his eighth-straight victory...That win was Tampa Bay's 11th straight at AMALIE Arena, setting a franchise record for consecutive home wins (12/23-2/15) and extending its home point streak to 13 games (12-0-1), matching a franchise record (12/17-2/15)...Tampa Bay and Philadelphia were scheduled to play March 12 at AMALIE Arena, the day the NHL season paused...The Lightning have won seven in a row over the Flyers dating back to the 2017-18 season and have scored five or more goals in six of those wins...Andrei Vasilevskiy has won five-straight starts vs. Philadelphia, the team he made his NHL debut at Dec. 16, 2014 (23-of-24 saves in 3-1 win).

Saturday's Storylines
Tampa Bay and Philadelphia are both 2-0-0 in the round robin portion of the 2020 Stanley Cup Playoffs, and whichever team wins today will secure the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the remainder of the playoffs (the loser will be the second seed in the East)...The Lightning and the Flyers are meeting in the postseason for the first time since Game 7 of the 2004 Eastern Conference Final at Tampa, a 2-1 Lightning win to send them to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time in franchise history (they would win the Stanley Cup in 7 games over Calgary)...Philadelphia was also Tampa Bay's opponent in the Bolts' first-ever playoff series, the 1996 Eastern Conference Quarterfinals, the Flyers winning that series in six games...Tampa Bay is 6 7 all-time against Philadelphia in the postseason.

Injuries
2019-20 Regular Season Total Man Games Lost: 104