(Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)I am going to take a break from laughing at the Yankees being down 5-0 in the bottom of the fifth inning against the Rangers and head over to the Lightning. It took a lot of time for me to start writing about my hockey team because... well. They have kind of shocked me into silence.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 3-0 on the season so far. I had to write it out to remind myself that it is actually happening. My brain keeps telling me not to get too excited. That it's extremely early in the season and in a league where any team can win on any night, there are way too many variables to tell where a team is going to end up just by viewing the first few games. I mean, in 2007-2008 the Lightning won their first three games. Then spiraled to the worst record in the league from there. Not to focus on the rough times in the last few years, but this hot start has me thinking of another team in recent memory. Namely the 2004 team that won six straight to start the season and went on to win the Stanley Cup.
I need to calm down. I'm getting way too ahead of myself. It's only been three games. But two of those were victories against Montreal and Philadelphia who both went deep into the postseason a few months ago. I think maybe I am getting so excited because there has been very little TO be excited about when it comes to Lightning hockey in the last few years. I am still bitter that the lockout robbed them of retaining almost the entire championship team the following season, only to have most of the players jettisoned to reconfigure under the new salary cap system. I am pissed at what OK hockey did to the franchise, the building, and the fans. Now? With good ownership, a hockey legend as GM, a phenom coach with a brilliant new system, and talent stacked on every line? I'm like a starving woman being handed a giant steak.
Of course, the ol' sports paranoia kicks in. I didn't want to go into great length about the winning streak because as soon as I acknowledged it, it would stop. If the Bolts do lose tomorrow, well. We'll call it a mulligan. But for now? It's unbelievable. I am going to love watching this team this year. And Steven Stamkos is going to be the sole winner of the Rocket Richard trophy by the end of it. Mark my words.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 3-0 on the season so far. I had to write it out to remind myself that it is actually happening. My brain keeps telling me not to get too excited. That it's extremely early in the season and in a league where any team can win on any night, there are way too many variables to tell where a team is going to end up just by viewing the first few games. I mean, in 2007-2008 the Lightning won their first three games. Then spiraled to the worst record in the league from there. Not to focus on the rough times in the last few years, but this hot start has me thinking of another team in recent memory. Namely the 2004 team that won six straight to start the season and went on to win the Stanley Cup.
I need to calm down. I'm getting way too ahead of myself. It's only been three games. But two of those were victories against Montreal and Philadelphia who both went deep into the postseason a few months ago. I think maybe I am getting so excited because there has been very little TO be excited about when it comes to Lightning hockey in the last few years. I am still bitter that the lockout robbed them of retaining almost the entire championship team the following season, only to have most of the players jettisoned to reconfigure under the new salary cap system. I am pissed at what OK hockey did to the franchise, the building, and the fans. Now? With good ownership, a hockey legend as GM, a phenom coach with a brilliant new system, and talent stacked on every line? I'm like a starving woman being handed a giant steak.
Of course, the ol' sports paranoia kicks in. I didn't want to go into great length about the winning streak because as soon as I acknowledged it, it would stop. If the Bolts do lose tomorrow, well. We'll call it a mulligan. But for now? It's unbelievable. I am going to love watching this team this year. And Steven Stamkos is going to be the sole winner of the Rocket Richard trophy by the end of it. Mark my words.
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