Tampa Bay Lightning hopes to strike against the Philadelphia Flyers
Whenever the Tampa Bay Lightning strikes, opposing teams should definitely take notice. The Montreal Canadiens did not, and all they could do was watch as Ryan Malone scored the game-winning
goal in overtime to spoil the Habs’ home opener.
After languishing in or near the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings for the past few seasons, the Lightning have experienced a revival during the off-season. The problems began
after the team won the Stanley Cup in the 2003-04 season. The next few years were full of mediocrity for the Lightning, due to terrible finishes and a disastrous ownership situation.
But in the summer of 2010, everything changed. The team was sold to a new owner, and the entire front office was cleaned out. Former Detroit Red Wings great Steve Yzerman became the new
general manager, and Guy Boucher took over the coaching duties from Rick Tocchet. With the team headed in a new direction, the objective was to return to the postseason at all costs.
So far, the Lightning have had a relatively good start to the 2010-11 NHL season, with their most recent win coming at the expense of the Canadiens on Wednesday, October 13. The team is
stocked with offensive talent, which includes Steven Stamkos, a 51-goal scorer last season, and veterans Martin St. Louis and Vincent Lecavalier. Simon Gagne was added during the off-season to help increase the team’s goal output.
The Flyers are coming off an exciting 2009-10 season that saw them play in the Stanley Cup final against the Chicago Blackhawks. While the Blackhawks ended up skating off with Lord Stanley’s
chalice, the often rough-and-tumble Flyers played very well against Chicago.
Unlike some other NHL teams, the Flyers did not make many changes to their roster during the off-season. Key players like Daniel Briere, captain Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Chris Pronger
were all retained. The team did some dealing with Tampa Bay, as they acquired defenceman Andrej Meszaros and dealt left-winger Simon Gagne. The team also brought back right-winger Nikolay Zherdev from Russia, and signed 39-year-old defenceman Sean O’Donnell.
Despite the promising start to the new NHL season, the Flyers have lost a few of their key players. Goaltender Michael Leighton, one of several heroes of the team’s 2009-10 playoff run,
is lost for six to eight weeks while he undergoes back surgery. Veteran forward Ian Laperriere’s future in Philly may also be in jeopardy, as the team’s medical staff has informed him that he should retire due to the large amount of injuries he sustained last
season.
The Flyers are known as one of the toughest teams in the NHL today, and their physical playing style is reminiscent of the Broad Street Bullies of the mid-1970s. At 6ft 6in, Pronger is
a physically imposing presence on Philadelphia’s blue line, and he is known for his blistering hits.
While not nearly as physical a force as the Flyers, the Lightning can dazzle their opponents with their talented offence. Stamkos scored a goal in the game against the Canadiens, while
Lecavalier and St. Louis also light the lamp on a regular basis. Whatever the outcome, the game between the Flyers and Lightning on Thursday, October 15 should be an interesting one.
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