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Flyers trying to end downward spiral

Mar 6, 2008 - 2:26 PM Tampa Bay (26-33-7) at Philadelphia (33-26-8) 7:00 pm EST

PHILADELPHIA (Ticker) - After a three game-winning streak, the Philadelphia Flyers are back to their struggling ways. They look to snap a two-game skid when they host the lowly Tampa Bay Lightning on Thursday.

The Flyers snapped an 0-8-2 slide with a three-game winning streak last week, but have hit the skids again in their last two contests, falling in overtime to the New York Rangers on Sunday and suffering a 5-2 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Tuesday.

The rough patch has sent them crashing through the Eastern Conference standings - from first place to eighth. Tuesday's loss was especially frustrating as Buffalo (32-26-9, 73 points) moved to within one point of Philadelphia for eighth place.

The Flyers' struggles no doubt have something to do with their growing list of injured players.

Offensive threats Simon Gagne (concussion), Mike Richards (shoulder), Daniel Briere (hamstring) and Joffrey Lupul (ankle) and defenseman Derian Hatcher (knee) have all suffered injuries within the last two weeks.

The Lightning might be just the team to break the Flyers out of their funk, as they have allowed 215 goals this season - the second worst mark in the Eastern Conference.

Last in the conference standings, Tampa Bay is just 1-7-0 in its last eight games, including a 2-0 loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

Once one of the top offenses in the league, the Lightning have managed only nine goals in five games since dealing Brad Richards and Vaclav Prospal at the trade deadline.

Tampa has taken two of the three meetings between the teams this season, including a 5-3 win on February 14.