Arrow-right Camera
The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Tampa Bay looking to go up 3-1

Associated Press

As bad as the Tampa Bay Lightning looked at home in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, that’s how good they’ve been on the road.

The Lightning grabbed a 2-1 lead over Philadelphia in the best-of-7 Eastern Conference finals on Thursday night by improving to 5-0 away from home this postseason.

Tampa Bay showed no carry-over effect from its 6-2 loss on Monday, handing the Flyers their first loss in seven home playoff games in Game 3.

“We didn’t come here for a split. We came here to win two games,” captain Dave Andreychuk said Friday. “We’ve got one game already. We have to take the next game and that’s the only thing we are worried about.”

After having two days off between Games 2 and 3, the Lightning and Flyers will have just a day-and-a-half before playing again today.

“I’m not one for morning skates,” Flyers captain Keith Primeau said. “I like just preparing for an afternoon game. I find I have more energy, and I think most guys feel the same way.”

Philadelphia will need an early jump in Game 4 to try to feed off the energy of the crowd that will be decked out in the home color for the second straight game of the new “Orange Crush.”

A power-play goal would really help Philadelphia, 1 for 16 in this series and 2 for 31 over the past seven games.

The Flyers have scored first in 11 of 14 playoff games but are 0-3 when they trail 1-0. Philadelphia had outscored opponents 16-3 in the first period but that trend was quickly reversed when the Lightning connected twice 2:24 apart before Game 3 was 16 minutes old.

The Flyers will also be without defenseman Marcus Ragnarsson, who will miss the rest of the postseason after breaking his left index finger in Game 3.