Tampa Bay Lightning: Top Rivalries Heading Into 2016-17 Season
By Will Clewis
Over the course of the 2015-16 season, the Tampa Bay Lightning were involved with a few rivalries among other teams and players that we could see develop into next season and beyond.
The way that last season unfolded early on struck fear in the hearts of Tampa Bay Lightning fans and the hopes of making a third consecutive playoff appearance dwindled as the season progressed. But, the Lightning got back on track and clinched a spot in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, making a few enemies along the way.
This relatively young franchise hasn’t been in the NHL for long and because of that, they don’t have too many intense rivalries with other teams. But, since landing in Tampa Bay in 1992, the Lightning have rubbed a few elbows with other organizations, especially more recently.
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As one would expect, each of these rivalries is contained within the Eastern Conference and they were sparked because of recent meetings, playoff match-ups, or just purely through divisional hatred. None of these rivalries should be seen as deep, bloody free for all’s, so please take them with a grain of salt. I’m mainly looking at these from a “passion” standpoint and how both sides interacted with each other.
NOTE: This list only deals with events that happened during the 2015-16 season, even if I make references from prior seasons.
With all of the recent success the Tampa Bay Lightning have had and the dislike they’ve garnered, let’s take a look at the top five rivalries heading into the 2016-17 season and what has built up in prior seasons.
Next: Honorable Mention - New York Islanders