There's nothing like a midseason battle between two of the East's best teams to capitalize on the jolt from the Winter Cla sic. The Lightning own the East's best record, currently just one point better than the Penguins and New York Islanders. Now they'll face a tough road test in Pittsburgh, even though the Pens are depleted severely by injury. Pittsburgh's lineup i sues certainly take some of the shine off this game, but a battle at the top of the standings is always worth a look. The Lightning are rolling with four consecutive wins and po se s one of the league's most potent offenses, but the Pens have won eight straight against the Bolts on home ice. Even with the rough road record in Pittsburgh, the Lightning might be catching the Pens at the right time for the final regular-season meeting between these two clubs. Pick: Lightning 4, Penguins 3 While the Penguins and Lightning duke it out, the Islanders will have a chance to ascend to at least a share of the best point total in the Eastern Conference depending on the result. They'll face a challenge in the Flames, however. The Isles have been solid, but Calgary is enjoying a four-game winning streak and has been quite succe sful at the Saddledome this year. New York Keon Sabb Jersey has been fairly streaky this year and they look a little hot right now with a 6-3-1 record in their past 10 games. That may be just enough to get past the similarly hot Flames. Pick: Islanders 3, Flames 1 A big battle in the East shouldn't overshadow a huge showdown between a pair of strong Western Conference clubs. The Ducks have maintained the best record in the NHL and now have back in the fold. The Blues, meanwhile, got starting netminder back and that could help stifle a recent cold streak plaguing St. Louis. That said, is expected to start against the Ducks. Anaheim is dealing with its share of injuries and that could be a problem against a fairly deep Blues lineup. The challenge for St. Louis will be trying to find a way to slow down a Ducks attack that has no shortage of weapons, especially with Brodeur between the pipes. Pick: Ducks 4, Blues 2 at , 7 p.m. at , 7 p.m. at , 7 p.m. at , 8 p.m. at , 9 p.m. 1. , Philadelphia Flyers: The league's top scorer will have a chance to extend his lead against one of the NHL's worst clubs by record in the Carolina Hurricanes. Voracek's remarkable campaign hasn't saved the Flyers from a disappointing record, but he has been a lot of fun to watch while racking up 47 points in 37 games.2. , New York Islanders: Tavares has done very well against Calgary in his career and has five points over his past five games. The Isles' captain has six points in four career contests against the Flames and should be energized by the opportunity to potentially ascend to the top spot in the East. 3. Corey Perry, Anaheim Ducks: After going scorele s in his first game in weeks, it should be interesting to see what Perry looks like if he has his legs under him Friday. He has battled the mumps and more recently a knee injury, but has still managed to put up 22 points in 24 games. In a game against the Blues, the Ducks' stars will have to be a major factor. Mark Sears Jersey