tampa bay lightning history
tampa bay lightning history
Tampa Bay Lightning ticket holders were able to savor the Stanley Cup championship for two years by virtue of the lockout that destroyed the entire NHL season last year. In 2005-2006, Lightning ticket holders finally can cheer on the defending champions in their quest for a second Cup. But winning back-to-back Stanley Cups has never been an easy task. With all the turmoil surrounding the last year in hockey though, the Lightning managed to hang on to the nucleus of their team. That feat makes Lightning tickets and a seat at the St. Pete Times Forum a must-have item for NHL hockey fans.
After only two playoff appearances, the Lightning posted the ultimate season in 2004, finishing with a record of 46-22-8-6 and 106 points. Martin St. Louis won the scoring title and the Hart Trophy as the National Hockey League’s Most Valuable Player. Coach John Tortorella won the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.
The playoffs that season would see Tampa Bay take the Islanders in five games. From there, the Lightning would accomplish the near impossible, as they swept the Montreal Canadiens to advance to the conference finals. Tampa Bay would defeat the Philadelphia Flyers in seven thrilling games.
Fans with heart trouble surely had difficulty watching the finals against the Calgary Flames. Down three games to two, the Lightning won game six in Calgary in two overtimes. Returning to Tampa, the Lightning took game seven to claim the Stanley Cup.
Prior to winning the Stanley Cup, Tampa Bay had reached the playoffs only twice. However, they did have success at the gate. In their second season, the Lightning hosted their intra-state rival Florida Panthers before a record crowd of 27,227 fans. Although Tampa Bay would finish last in the division, an NHL-record 805,901 fans bought Lightning tickets that season.
The years between the expansion and their championship season, the Lightning and their fans endured through some pretty lean years. In one span of four years, the Lightning finished last three times and fourth the other. In addition to those years, Tampa Bay finished sixth twice and last two other times. In fact, twice Tampa Bay finished lower in the standings than expansion franchises in their inaugural seasons. In the Lightning’s second year, they finished behind the brand new Florida Panthers. Then in 1999, they would wind up beneath the expansion Nashville Predators.
Tampa Bay Lightning tickets have always been hard to get. With the Lightning coming back from a Stanley Cup Championship, it may be next to impossible to get a seat in the St. Pete Times Forum but it’s certainly worth the effort. Vincent Lecavalier, Brad Richards, and Vinny Prospal return to occupy the forward position. That trio saw them post 80 goals in 2004. The defense returns Pavel Kubina, Cory Sarich, Dan Boyle, and Darryl Sydor, the nucleus of the team’s championship defense. Can the Tampa Bay Lightning strike twice? The answer is yes, but don’t watch it on the tube or hear it on the radio. See it for yourself with Tampa Bay Lightning tickets.
