Philly Leader

The Philadelphia Flyers, led by John Tortorella, are set to face Jon Cooper's Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday evening at Amalie Arena. The game marks the second stop in a three-game road trip for the Flyers and is scheduled to start at 7:30 p.m. EST. Fans can watch the match via ESPN+ and Hulu or listen to it on 97.5 The Fanatic with an online simulcast available on Flyers Radio 24/7.

This encounter is the first of three meetings between these teams this season, with future games planned for March 13 at Wells Fargo Center and March 17 in Tampa.

The Flyers approach this game following a 6-4 defeat against the Carolina Hurricanes in Raleigh. Despite being outplayed territorially, they nearly pushed the game into overtime, with Travis Konecny contributing significantly by scoring two goals and assisting twice.

In preparation for Thursday's match, several key points have emerged:

1. Anthony Richard has been called up due to Ryan Poehling's placement on Injured Reserve. Richard was recalled after demonstrating strong performance in the American Hockey League (AHL), where he accumulated nine points in seven games this season.

2. Owen Tippett has shown signs of improvement after a slow start to the season. Over his last seven games, he has recorded seven points, including two goals and five assists.

3. Puck possession remains a concern for the Flyers as they rank low in shot-attempt share and expected goals share at five-on-five play compared to last season's higher rankings.

4. The Flyers' power play started strong but cooled off recently before regaining some momentum against Carolina with a successful 5-on-3 advantage.

5. The Lightning remain formidable despite recent struggles, losing four of their last six games largely due to defensive lapses leading to high-scoring losses.

Both teams will be looking to capitalize on special teams play as penalties have been an issue for both sides early in the season.