Vincent Lecavalier and the Philadelphia Flyers…
It feels so wrong to type that.
Vincent Lecavalier and the Philadelphia Flyers (10-11-2) are in Tampa tonight for a contest with the Tampa Bay Lightning (15-8-1). After struggling to start this 2013-14 campaign, the Flyers have really picked things up, as evidenced by their 6-2-2 record in their last 10 games. The Lightning, for their part, are looking to build on what was a very impressive 5-0 victory over the New York Rangers on Monday night.
Injuries continue to haunt the Lightning, as Steven Stamkos, Ryan Malone, Radko Gudas, PC Labrie and Tom Pyatt are all out tonight. Managing injuries is part of the game, but Tampa is dealing with a lot of adversity right now. The list above highlights the fact that the Lightning have not only lost their best player, but they’ve also lost a lot of depth. That the team has remained reasonably competitive during this tumultuous time is a testament to the strength of its farm system.
In addition to all the injured skaters, Ben Bishop left practice early today with what has been described as a minor hand injury. The team insists that its star goaltender is fine, but Anders Lindback will get the start tonight against the Flyers. Given the huge workload Bishop has faced over the first two months of the season, it only makes sense to get Lindback some starts. Tonight, the team needs nothing more than for its Swedish tender to give the guys in front of him a chance to win.
While tonight’s game is very important for both teams, the big story this evening will certainly be the return of Vincent Lecavalier. After spending more than a decade with Tampa, Lecavalier had his contract bought out this past summer. In 1,037 career games with the Lightning organization, he compiled 383 goals and 491 assists for 874 points. Regardless of whether or not you liked Lecavalier, you have to respect the contribution he made to the organization we all love. Tampa Bay’s history books will remember Lecavalier as an offensive force, Stanley Cup winner, and community leader. He deserves our admiration and applause tonight.
With so much emotion sure to be in the building, it will be most interesting to see how the Lightning respond. The opportunity to take advantage of a team that has struggled to score this year is certainly there, but the Bolts are going to need a good effort. The Forum has been very kind to the Lightning so far this season; let’s hope that trend continues tonight.
Pregame line rushes: St Louis-Filppula-Brown; Palat-Johnson-Panik; Kucherov-Killorn-Purcell; Thompson-Crombeen (11 Fwds)
— Erik Erlendsson (@erlendssonTBO) November 28, 2013As always, thanks for reading.