Just one month ago, the Philadelphia Flyers were looking like serious contenders to take over the Eastern Conference lead from the foundering Ottawa Senators. But the Flyers, 2-9-3 in their last 14 games, instead find themselves in a dogfight with the Buffalo Sabres and New York Islanders for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

Meanwhile, Tampa Bay Lightning GM Jay Feaster finally got the organization back on course at the trade deadline, trading two of his higher-priced forwards (Brad Richards and Vaclav Prospal) in order to secure some top young talent and—equally importantly—salary cap space with which to build a more well-rounded team. And in what was likely no coincidence, Prospal was dealt to the Flyers just two weeks after he criticized Lightning head coach John Tortorella in a live interview that broadcast on the scoreboard at the St. Pete Times Forum.

The Lighting have fallen into last place in the East, but should show signs of dramatic improvement down the stretch. And the Flyers, one of the league’s most improved teams after a last-overall finish in 2006-07, will be fighting for their playoff lives. Check out this match-up in brilliant 1080i on HDNet, live at 7:00 p.m. ET.

Lightning to Watch

Acquired in the trade that sent Brad Richards to Dallas, goaltender Mike Smith is expected to provide the Lightning with the stability between the pipes that they’ve lacked since Nikolai Khabibulin left as a free agent following the 2004-05 lockout. Smith is a very solid young netminder, who at times appeared to be challenging All-Star Marty Turco for the starting job in Dallas, and should represent a huge improvement for the Lightning over time.

Defense prospect Alexandre Picard, acquired from the Flyers in the deal for Prospal, showed flashes of brilliance last season, when he scored 22 points in 62 games for Philadelphia. But this year, with Kimmo Timonen, Braydon Coburn, and Jason Smith all taking spots on the Flyers’ crowded blue line, Picard found himself back in the AHL playing for the Phantoms. With Tampa, he’ll get an opportunity to shine, starting off on the third defense pair but getting plenty of power play time during which he can flash his offensive skills.

Of course, the most exciting Tampa players to watch are forwards Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St. Louis. But for the team’s poor showing in the standings, Lecavalier (80 points in 66 games) would be a strong contender for the Hart Trophy as league MVP. And St. Louis, his dynamic linemate, has been similarly productive (71 points in 66 games, team-leading 50 assists).

Flyers to Watch

The Flyers made a huge splash last summer, bringing aboard high-profile free agent Daniel Briere and pulling off trades for Kimmo Timonen, Scott Hartnell, Jason Smith, and Joffrey Lupul. But as it’s turned out, the most important development in the City of Brotherly Love has been the remarkable ascendance of Mike Richards. Long presumed to be the Flyers’ future captain, Richards has demonstrated tremendous offensive skill this season, tallying a team-leading 66 points in 62 games to go along with a stellar plus-14 rating. He missed Tuesday night’s loss to the Sabres with a hamstring injury, but is expected to return to the lineup soon.

Richards’s performance is particularly impressive when contrasted against Briere’s whose offensive production (57 points in 66 games) and defensive acumen (team-worst minus-23 rating) have been seriously underwhelming. Briere will need to turn things on down the stretch if the Flyers are to retain their slim lead in the race for the East’s final playoff spot. Briere missed Tuesday’s game with a shoulder injury suffered on Sunday against the Rangers, and it’s unknown whether he will be able to return for tonight’s game.

On the blue line, young Braydon Coburn has been a revelation. Acquired at the trade deadline last season for journeyman Alexei Zhitnik, Coburn is quickly developing into the anchor of the Flyers’ defense, posting a team-leading plus-16 rating while also showing surprising offensive skill (29 points in 63 games). Without question, Coburn’s emergence made it far easier for GM Paul Holmgren to pull the trigger on the deal to send Picard to Tampa for Vaclav Prospal.

Prospal shouldn’t be expected to save the Flyers’ season, but his offensive skill should help go a long way towards making up for the absence of talented winger Simon Gagne, who’s likely out for the season with post-concussion symptoms. Prospal had started to develop some chemistry with Briere, and they’ll likely be linemates again when Briere returns from his shoulder injury.

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