TBO.com - TBO is Tampa Bay Online

Lightning Will Travel Abroad, Out West

ADVERTISEMENT

By ERIK ERLENDSSON

The Tampa Tribune

Published: July 18, 2008

TAMPA - A trip across the pond and two others across the continent highlight the new-look Lightning's 2008-09 regular-season schedule.

Tampa Bay opens the regular season with a pair of games in Prague, Czech Republic, against the New York Rangers on Oct. 4 and 5. The Lightning return to open the North American part of their schedule in Tampa on Oct. 11 against division-rival Carolina.

For the third consecutive year, the Lightning will close their regular season in Atlanta.

The league revised the schedule format this season to ensure that each team plays the 15 teams in the opposite conference at least once. That means the Lightning will play their four division foes six times each (last season it was eight times) and the 10 other teams in the Eastern Conference four times each, with their remaining 18 games against Western Conference teams.

Included in this year's schedule are two five-game road trips and a four-game set away from home. Tampa Bay will twice travel to the Pacific time zone, once for a swing through California and Arizona and another through Western Canada.

The Lightning will have five homestands of four or more games, including a six-game stand Feb. 7-19.

Other notes of interest:

•New Lightning coach Barry Melrose makes his return to Los Angeles on Jan. 12, three days after the team plays across town in Anaheim.

•Lightning G Olie Kolzig, a longtime member of the Washington Capitals, makes his return to D.C. on Nov. 10.

•Ryan Malone, Gary Roberts and Adam Hall return to Pittsburgh for the first time on Dec. 23.

•Assuming he's healthy, former Lightning 30-goal scorer Fredrik Modin returns to Tampa for the first time with Columbus on March 24.

Season-ticket, half-season and 10-game plans are on sale; single-game seats will go on sale at a date to be announced. For information regarding season-ticket plans and prices, call (813) 301-6600.

Bolts Hot Dates

Here the five must-see games at home:

OCT. 25: Judging from the reaction following Dan Boyle's trade to San Jose, this early season visit from the Sharks should generate plenty of interest in his first trip back to Tampa.

NOV. 13: The Detroit Red Wings are always a top draw, but coming off a Stanley Cup title and adding sniper Marian Hossa to the roster should make tickets a premium for the Wings' first visit to Tampa since Dec..17, 2005.

JAN. 19: It seems like a long time ago when Brad Richards was traded to Dallas, but his first visit back to town with the Stars will no doubt attract a lot of attention for the former Conn Smythe Trophy winner.

JAN. 30: Super Bowl weekend in Tampa should bring out a large crowd for a visit from the Philadelphia Flyers.

MARCH 3: In what new ownership hopes is the stretch run for a playoff spot, Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and the defending Eastern Conference champion Pittsburgh Penguins make the first of two visits to Tampa in the final six weeks of the season.

Reporter Erik Erlendsson can be reached at (813) 259-7835 or eerlendsson@tampatrib.com.

Share this:

Loading Comments...

Email Print

ADVERTISEMENT