Opening Night for the Tampa Bay Lightning

Last time you looked, and we're talking regular season here, the Bolts had just lost every one of their remaining games in the 2008-09 season debacle after Vinny Lecavalier shut things down and had wrist surgery.  Ryan Malone had busted his hand.  Lukas Krajicek was playing 20-odd minutes a night as a first-pair D-man.  

Nine losses in a row, people.  Count'em:  Nine.  

But that was last season.  Say farewell.  Sayonara.  Over, done with, just sweep it under the rug.   Forget the bad, because it’s moot.  It happened, it’s done.  It’s a new day, a new season.  New lines, new coaches and  new ambitions for a franchise that’s predicted to finish between nowhere and nothing again by those who are only focused on the sideshow. 

And I only feel a degree of pity for those making that mistake.

With all the pomp and the circumstance of the renewal of the National Hockey League and the beginning of the 2009-10 NHL campaign, there are still some lingering doubts  that remain.  Lingering concerns.  Lingering questions.

Questions in the dark.

We’ll find answers as we go from here.  Together as fans, together as a team.  And that's not just a truth for Hockey Bay, that's a truth for everyone.  That’s just the way it is in pro sports.  You play the games to get the answers…  Win, lose….  Each one becomes part of the answer to the unwritten questions of what, how, when, and why.

But from this point forward, everything counts.

Without further ado, here are the lads that will be trying to formulate answers for the Lightning going forward.  Let me introduce you to the Tampa Bay Lightning's starting lineup for October 3rd, 2009:

Projected starting lineup for tonight:

Left Wing	Center	Right Wing
#13 Alex Tanguay	#4 Vincent Lecavalier	#9 Steve Downie
#12 Ryan Malone	#91 Steven Stamkos	#26 Martin St. Louis
#19 Stephane Veilleux	#11 Jeff Halpern	#18 Drew Miller
#17 Todd Fedoruk	#28 Zenon Konopka	#43 James Wright

 

Defense
#5 Mattias Ohlund	#14 Andrej Meszaros
#54 Paul Ranger	#8 Matt Walker
#6 Kurtis Foster	#77 Victor Hedman

 

Goaltender

#41 Mike Smith

Not enough information for you? You wnat more? OK, can do:

• The Tampa Bay Lightning Official season media guide
• Official team season preview
• Raw Charge's season preview
• Puck Daddy's Lightning season preview
• TSN.ca's season preview
• Hockey Independent Tampa Bay Lightning season preview (written by WBPhilp of Lightning Shout fame)