• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers

Lightning in contention for division title

Apr 6, 2007 - 12:58 PM Florida (34-31-15) at Tampa Bay (44-32-4) 8:00 pm EDT

TAMPA, Florida (Ticker) -- The Tampa Bay Lightning have clinched a playoff spot and are now setting their sights on the Southeast Division title.

The Lightning, who earned a spot in the postseason as a result of Toronto's 5-2 loss to the New York Islanders on Thursday, host the Florida Panthers on Friday before a showdown with the first-place Atlanta Thrashers on Saturday.

Tampa Bay (34-31-15) is seventh overall in the conference, but just one point behind third-seeded Atlanta (41-28-11). The New York Rangers (42-29-10) are sixth in the conference, two points ahead of the Lightning.

The Thrashers visit the Carolina Hurricanes on Friday before hosting the Lightning on Saturday. An Atlanta victory combined with a regulation loss by the Lightning on Friday would give the Thrashers the division title.

Tampa Bay owns the tiebreaker if the teams end up tied for points because it has more wins than the Thrashers.

Tampa Bay boasts two of the league's premier scorers in Vincent Lecavalier (107 points) and Martin St. Louis (101 points).

Florida's Olli Jokinen is leading the team with 86 points - three points shy of his career high set last season.

This is the final meeting of the season between the in-state rivals.

Florida leads the series, 4-2-1.