Time: 26 Dec 2009 at 7:30 PM ET
League: NHL – United States of America

Last 10 matches: Atlanta 3-6-1; Tampa Bay 3-6-1
Goalie Kari Lehtonen (back surgery) and defenseman Mark Popovic (broken foot) are out for the Thrashers. … Defenseman Matt Walker and forwards Jeff Halpern and Todd Fedoruk are all nursing lower-body injuries for the Lightning. Walker did not play against the Flyers. Halpern and Fedoruk were both in the lineup. Just a single point separates the sixth seed from the 10th in the Eastern Conference. Atlanta comes out of the Christmas break in possession of the No. 6 spot by virtue of having played one fewer game than Ottawa, but the Thrashers have struggled of late, in large part due to some defensive liabilities. Meanwhile, the Lightning have faded to a tie for 11th following a fast start, and need to establish some positive momentum as the second half approaches.
These Southeast Division rivals meet for the third time this season and the first time in Tampa Bay. The Lightning have split a pair of games at Philips Arena, losing 6-3 in the opener for both teams on Oct. 3 and coming back for a 4-3 overtime win last month. Ondrej Pavelec was in goal for the Thrashers in both games.
Tobias Enstrom leads Atlanta with 26 assists and ranks third among NHL defensemen, behind only Toronto’s Tomas Kaberle (31) and Washington’s Mike Green (28). Enstrom, in his third season, is tied for 11th overall in the category. Highlights and results will be available soon.. stay tuned.