THE SKINNY: Martin St. Louis tied it with 8:02 left in regulation then won it 2:03 into the extra session in Philadelphia. Nikolai Khabibulin made 37 saves but committed two puck-handling miscues that helped the Flyers score four goals in 9:01. Andre Roy fought Donald Brashear two seconds into the game. Chris Dingman fought Jim Vandermeer 16 seconds in, and Ben Clymer fought Chris Therien in the second.
HE SAID IT: "This is a big character win for us. We were up. We were down. We won it in overtime. We kept pushing and got the results." - St. Louis
JAN. 3 - LIGHTNING 6, FLYERS 1
THE SKINNY: Fredrik Modin recorded a hat trick at home to end a 13-game scoring drought. Modin tied it at 1 in the first and scored twice in the second, including one on the power play. That was part of a three-goal outburst on four shots in a stretch of 5:02 that gave Tampa Bay a 4-1 lead.
HE SAID IT: "They were ready, and we were not. We were not good in the battle areas, and Tampa Bay came with a lot of force. They played great, and we played really bad." - Flyers center Jeremy Roenick
FEB. 2 - LIGHTNING 2, FLYERS 1
THE SKINNY: Goals by Pavel Kubina and Ruslan Fedotenko 1:42 apart in the second overcame a 1-0 deficit and gave Tampa Bay its sixth consecutive victory and fourth in a row on the road. Neil Little, called up from the minors three days earlier, replaced the injured Robert Esche 5:23 into the second and allowed goals on his first two shots.
HE SAID IT: "It definitely gives us confidence. We played one of the best teams in the league. I think it's good for our confidence and shows we can play with the best." - Khabibulin
FEB. 17 - LIGHTNING 5, FLYERS 2
THE SKINNY: Brad Richards had two assists and scored the winner with 4:27 left in the second in Tampa to open an 18-point lead on the Panthers in the Southeast. Cory Stillman started the winning play by checking Mattias Timander into the boards to help create a two-on-one with Richards. Stillman's chip pass was high, but Richards batted the puck in.
HE SAID IT: "They're a good hockey team. No one's doubting that. They're not the Tampa Bay they were seven years ago." - Therien
