FLYERS AT LIGHTNING

RECORDS: Flyers (41-217, second in the Metropolitan Division) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (43-21-6, second in the Atlantic Division) TV: Thursday, 7 p.m., NBCSP BOTTOM LINE: The Tampa Bay Lightning and the Flyers meet in a matchup of two of the top teams in the Eastern Conference. The Lightning are 28-12-3 against Eastern Conference opponents. Tampa Bay leads the league averaging 3.5 goals per game, led by Nikita Kucherov with 33. The Flyers are 30-10-5 in Eastern Conference play. Philadelphia has scored 227goals and ranks seventh in the NHL averaging 3.3 goals per game. Travis Konecny leads the team with 24. In their last meeting on Feb. 15, Tampa Bay won 5-3. TOP PERFORMERS: Kucherov leads the Lightning with 33goals, adding 52assists and recording 85 points. Yanni Gourde has totaled five assists over the last 10games for Tampa Bay. Sean Couturier leads the Flyers with a plus-21in 69 games played this season. Kevin Hayes has scored six goals over the last 10 games for Philadelphia. LAST 10GAMES: Flyers: 9-1-0, averaging 3.9 goals, seven assists, 3.7 penalties and eight penalty minutes while giving up 1.9 goals per game with a .936 save percentage. Lightning: 3-6-1, averaging three goals, 4.9 assists, 5.5 penalties and 15.2penalty minutes while giving up 3.4goals per game with a .891save percentage. INJURIES: Lightning: Steven Stamkos: out (core muscle), Victor Hedman: day to day (lower-body). Flyers: Philippe Myers: out (leg), James van Riemsdyk: out (hand).