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Tampa Bay Lightning: Breaking Down The National Television Schedule

By Tasha St. Pierre

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As the 2015-16 season approaches quickly, we take a look at the Tampa Bay Lightning‘s National Television Schedule and break down the action.

As hard to believe as it seems, the 2015-16 season really is right around the corner. As we sit here behind our keyboard, we are just 72 days away from the first official puck drop of the 2015-16 season.

As Bolts By The Bay Staff Writer Kyle Barber mentioned in his article yesterday, the Tampa Bay Lightning has started to gain a lot of national attention thanks to their tremendous skill on the ice and their determination to fight until the very end.

This is why it comes as no surprise that when the NBC Sports Network and the Tampa Bay Lightning announced the official National Television Schedule for the 2015-16 season, it came as no surprise that the Lightning would be featured in no less than eight games.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will kick off their Nationally Televised events on October 13th when the Lightning head to the Joe Louis Arena in Michigan for a rematch against the Detroit Red Wings. They will conclude their National Television Schedule with a trip to Madison Square Garden to take on “King” Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers.

Are you starting to see a pattern here? We know we sure are. Four of the eight games that the Tampa Bay Lightning are scheduled to play on the NBC Sports Network are against opponents that the Lightning played in their quest for the Stanley Cup in the 2014-15 Stanley Cup Playoffs.

In addition to that little fact, the Lightning will also be facing off with three of the original six teams in their National Television Schedule; the Detroit Red Wings, Boston Bruins, and New York Rangers.

The Tampa Bay Lightning will also be featured in a few of NBC Sports Network’s specialty programming over the course of the season. The Bolts will take on the Detroit Red Wings at the Amalie Arena on Wednesday, February 3rd, as a part of the Wednesday Night Rivalry series.

The Lightning will also be featured on NBC Sports Network’s Sunday Night Hockey program. This will take place on Sunday, February 28th, as the Tampa Bay Lightning head to the TD Garden in Boston to take on captain Zdeno Chara and the Boston Bruins.

We would be lying to you if we told you we weren’t excited about the prospect of facing down those who we defeated in the 2014-15 Stanley Cup Playoffs once again. We all know that there is no love lost between the Lightning and teams like the Montreal Canadiens. In fact, we’re pretty sure they’ll be looking for a little payback after the way the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated them in the playoffs.

In addition to the playoff rematches and the Original Six showdowns, the Tampa Bay Lightning will also be doing battle with captain David Backes and the St. Louis Blues, captain Gabriel Landeskog and the Colorado Avalanche, and possibly even on of this year’s hottest picks at the NHL Draft, Jack Eichel, and the Buffalo Sabres.

Each of these teams presents a particular challenge for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but if there is any team in the National Hockey League that is skilled at breaking down walls and overcoming challenges it is our Boys in Blue.

The biggest challenge for Tampa Bay Lightning fans is going to be listening to the NBC Sports Network’s announcers and analysts in lieu of the traditional airing of Rick Peckham and his broadcast partner.

The good news is, if you simply can’t take the pain anymore, you can always mute your televisions and listen to Dave Mishkin and Phil Esposito break down the action on 970WFLA or the Tampa Bay Lightning Power Play channel on iHeartRadio.

Which of the Nationally Televised games are you most looking forward to in the 2015-16 season? Which of the teams on the list do you think will be the biggest challenge for the Tampa Bay Lightning? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning: Who is the Toughest Competition Next Season?

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