Philadelphia Flyers

Flyers at Tampa Bay Preview: Lineups, Notes & How to Watch

Published

1 year ago

March 7, 2023

Sam Carchidi

James van Riemsdyk celebrates after tying the game in Tampa on Oct. 18. The Philadelphia Flyers won, 3-2. Photo: AP.

The Philadelphia Flyers start a three-game road trip Tuesday, with the first stop in Tampa against the angry Lightning.

The Lightning (37-21-5) are angry because they have lost five straight and are coming off a humiliating 6-0 loss in Carolina. During their skid, the Bolts have been outscored, 27-11.

“We’re just not executing right now,” said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper, who benched three of his stars — Steven Stamkos, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov –during the third period Saturday’s 5-3 loss o Buffalo. “So it’s slowing our game down. As coaches, we’ve got to instill some confidence in these guys.”

Tampa will be without one of the league’s top defensemen, Victor Hedman, who is day to day with an unspecified injury.

The teams have split their two games this season. The Flyers spoiled Tampa’s home opener Oct. 18, scoring a 3-2 win on Noah Cates’ third-period goal. Carter Hart made 36 saves.

James van Riemsdyk, who has 17 goals in 40 career games against Tampa, tied it at 2-2 early in the third period.

The Lightning avenged the loss with a 4-1 victory at the Wells Fargo Center on Dec. 1. Nicholas Paul had a pair of goals as Tampa beat the Flyers for the ninth time in the teams’ last 10 meetings.

The Philadelphia Flyers (24-28-11) are trying to build off Sunday’s 3-1 win over Detroit. Cates scored his fifth game-wining goal — tops among NHL rookies — as the Flyers won for just the second time in their last 10 games.

Flyers’ expected lineup

Van Riemsdyk–Hayes-Allison

Farabee-Frost-Tippett

Laughton-Cates-Lemieux

Delauriers-Laczynski-Rotating RW

Defense

Provorov-York

Sanhein-Ristolainen

Seeler-DeAngelo

Braun

Goalie

Hart (17-19-10, 2.89 GAA, .908 SP)

Lightning’s expected lineup

Stamkos-Point-Kucherov

Hagel-Cirelli-Killorn

Colton-Paul-Jeannot

Maroon-Eyssimont-Perry

Defense

Sergachev-Perbix

Cole-Cernak

Fleury-Bogosian

Goalie

Vasillevskiy (28-16-3, 2.68, .915)

Breakaways

Hart has struggled against the Lightning in his career, compiling a 1-6-1 record with a 3.93 GAA and .874 save percentage. .. Stamkos is a certified Flyers killer: 52 points (27 goals, 25 assists) in 39 games. … Owen Tippett has three goals over his last five games. … The Flyers will also play Carolina and Pittsburgh on the difficult three-game trip. … Tampa has the NHL’s No. 2 power play (25.6% success rate), while the Flyers are last in the league at 15.6%. … The Flyers have a 48-43-16 lifetime record against Tampa, including a 25-24-5 mark on the road. … Former Flyers Pierre Bellemare (four goals, nine points in 60 games) and Brian Elliott (9-5-2, 3.29 GAA, .894 SP) are with the Bolts, along with ex-Philly farmhand Pat Maroon (11 points in 62 games). … Tampa’s Ross Colton, a Robbinsville, N.J., native, has 14 goals. … Point leads the Lightning with 39 goals …. Travis Konecny has 27 goals to pace the Flyers, who are 1-3 since he was sidelined with an upper-body injury. He is week to week.