Tampa Bay Lightning Year In Review: Brian Boyle

The Tampa Bay Lightning are quickly approaching a new season, but before we close the books on the 2014-15 season for good, let’s take one last look at the season of center Brian Boyle.

In a team like the Tampa Bay Lightning that is jam packed with talent in front of the net, it can sometimes be difficult for any particular player to stand out amongst the crowd. One of those players that don’t get quite the amount of credit as they should is Tampa Bay Lightning center Brian Boyle.

If you are ever looking for someone to thank for having Brian Boyle on the Tampa Bay Lightning, look no further than Lightning right wing Ryan Callahan. After Callahan was traded to the Lightning in exchange for Martin St. Louis, he enjoyed his time here so much that he decided to bring a few of his friends along with him.

While Callahan may not be the one who inked the contracts, that would be Tampa Bay Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman, Callahan certainly had influence in bringing the two players here to Hockey Paradise.

After signing a three-year deal with the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brian Boyle finally made his Tampa Bay Lightning debut in the 2014-15 season. Boyle would spend a good portion of the season centering the fourth line alongside Brenden Morrow and Jonathan Drouin.

Boyle is one of only five players on the team who played in all 82 games this season. In that amount of time, Boyle would manage to score 15 goals and 9 assists for a total of 24 points to accompany a plus-3 rating. These may not be career-high numbers for the Hingham, Massachusetts native, they were a definite improvement on his numbers during his final season with the New York Rangers.

One of our favorite Brian Boyle moments of the 2014-15 season came to us on February 27^th as the Tampa Bay Lightning took on the Chicago Blackhawks at the Amalie Arena here in Tampa.

It was just about the halfway point in the 2^nd period and neither team had been able to break the ice and find their way onto the scoreboard. The Tampa Bay Lightning were pushing their way back into the Blackhawks zone. Thanks to a tip from Lightning right wing J.T. Brown, the puck would finally make its way into the zone.

Both teams would fight for the puck, but it would ultimately be the Tampa Bay Lightning that could come up on the winning end of the stick. Brian Boyle had found himself a perfect position right in front of the net. Without even looking, Lightning rookie Jonathan Drouin would pass the puck to Boyle and he would send the puck flying past Blackhawks goaltender Scott Darling.

Boyle played in all but one of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s games in the post season. Unfortunately, the level of success he had in the regular season didn’t translate as well to the postseason; however, he was able to make his way onto the scoreboard. Boyle scored 1 goal and 1 assist for a total of 2 points.

Brian Boyle had quite a bit of excitement off the ice this season as well. After the Tampa Bay Lightning took Boyle’s former team in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 18^th, Boyle had to rush home for the birth of his baby boy. Boyle and his wife Lauren would name their little bundle of joy Declan Gabriel Boyle.

Needless to say, the 2014-15 season was pretty interesting for Brian Boyle both on and off the ice and a season that both he and Tampa Bay Lightning fans won’t be forgetting anytime soon.

What did you think about Brian Boyle’s performance in the 2014-15 season? What kind of an impact do you think Boyle will have in the 2015-16 season? How many goals do you think he’ll score along the way? Let us know what you think in the comments below.

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