Lightning 8 - 7 Flyers
Final
  for this game

Flyers host Lightning with chance to extend home winning streak

Nov 18, 2010 - 4:19 PM (Sports Network) - The Philadelphia Flyers will try to extend their home winning streak to eight games this evening when they battle the Tampa Bay Lightning at the Wells Fargo Center.

The Flyers haven't lost as the hosting club since Oct. 21 and are 8-3-0 in the City of Brotherly Love this year. They are coming off their first regulation loss since Oct. 25 in Columbus, going 9-0-1 prior to Tuesday's 3-0 setback in Montreal.

Philadelphia had scored 18 goals over its previous three games, but couldn't get any of its 41 shots past Canadiens goaltender Carey Price. Rookie Sergei Bobrovsky, making his 11th straight start, yielded three goals on 28 shots.

"We owned the second period -- we dominated," said Flyers head coach Peter Laviolette. "It was frustrating because the shots and scoring chances were heavily in our favor, but we couldn't seem to find a goal."

It is unknown if Bobrovsky will be in net again tonight to face the Lightning for the first time or if Brian Boucher will make his first start since Oct. 25. Boucher yielded three goals in a home loss to the Lightning on Oct. 14.

Forward Danny Briere, who is second on the club with nine goals, scored in that loss.

Tampa Bay is just 2-5-1 in November, but snapped a three-game slide last night with a 4-2 victory in New York over the Islanders. Martin St. Louis had a goal and two assists while Steven Stamkos scored his NHL-leading 16th goal and added an assist to up his league-leading points total to 30.

St. Louis has three goals and nine points over a six-game point streak, while Stamkos has six goals and four assists over a six-game run of his own.

Dan Ellis made 34 saves for the Lightning, who also snapped a five-game road losing streak in the opener of a three-game swing.

"We played real strong tonight and we ended up getting two points," said Ellis.

Tampa Bay played without forwards Vincent Lecavalier (right hand surgery) and former Flyer Simon Gagne (neck) and both players are on injured reserve.

Stamkos scored in Tampa Bay's earlier victory at Philadelphia this year and Ellis made 24 saves.

Despite the loss earlier this year to the Bolts, the Flyers have still taken six of eight and seven of the last 10 meetings in this series. Tampa has also dropped four of six and 10 of its last 14 games in Philly.






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