The Sports Network
(Sports Network) - The Tampa Bay Lightning will try to continue their strong
start to the season Sunday when they host the Philadelphia Flyers at Tampa
Times Forum.
The Lightning are 3-1-0 on the season and enter Sunday's tilt on a two-game
win streak. The Flyers have also won two in a row after beginning the campaign
with three straight regulation losses.
Tampa has fared very well against Philadelphia in recent years, winning two
straight, three of four and six of the last eight meetings between the clubs.
The Flyers have dropped two in a row and three of their last four tests at the
Forum.
The Bolts posted their most recent win on Friday, as they downed the visiting
Ottawa Senators by a 6-4 score. Ryan Malone notched the game-tying goal early
in the third period for Tampa and then provided the go-ahead marker with just
over seven minutes remaining.
Steven Stamkos registered a goal and two assists, while Matt Carle, Victor
Hedman and Tom Pyatt also lit the lamp for the Lightning. Anders Lindback
recorded 32 saves in the victory.
"We want to focus on one game at a time," Hedman said. "We have to do that
especially with this short season."
Sunday marks the second contest on a five-game homestand for the Lightning,
who are 2-0 as the host so far.
The Flyers hope they've saved some offense for Sunday's game after destroying
the Florida Panthers by a 7-1 score on Saturday. Matt Read recorded his first
career hat trick and rookie Tye McGinn lit the lamp for the first time as an
NHLer, helping the visiting Flyers rout the Panthers at BB&T Center.
Read, who scored on each of his three shots, became the second Flyer to
register a hat trick against the Panthers, joining Eric Lindros. Lindros
accomplished the feat on March 18, 1995
McGinn, Ruslan Fedotenko and newcomer Luke Schenn each had a goal and one
assist for the Flyers.
Philadelphia's scoring barrage Saturday night eclipsed its goal total through
the first four games (5).
"To have an outbreak like that is a great thing for the team. We need to carry
it over now," McGinn said.
Ilya Bryzgalov played well between the pipes, making 30 saves. The lone
Florida shot that got past him belonged to Peter Mueller, who scored on a
breakaway late in the second period.
Philadelphia forward Danny Briere made his season debut. He had suffered a
wrist injury while playing in Germany during the lockout. The Flyers hope
Briere's return can help offset the loss of forward Scott Hartnell, who is out
for 4-to-8 weeks with a broken toe suffered on Tuesday.
The Flyers are playing the second test of a four-game road trip on Sunday.
Next up is Tuesday's game against the New York Rangers.
The Sports Network