Tampa Bay Lightning Headlines: Syracuse Crunch, Best of the Bolts, And More
As another day dawns here in the Bolts Nation, we take a closer look at some of the top Tampa Bay Lightning headlines as well as some news from around the National Hockey League.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have had an interesting off-season. At the beginning of the off-season there were a plethora of contracts sitting on the desk of Lightning Vice President and General Manager Steve Yzerman. Thankfully, Yzerman was able to work his magic and that list of contracts has greatly diminished.
Now that the off-season is preparing to come to an end, the Tampa Bay Lightning are getting ready to turn their attention to the upcoming 2016-17 season. Before you know it, the Lightning will be headed into Training Camp. This is where we’ll get a better look at the way the team will look when they hit the ice in October.
For those of you out there like us here at Bolts By The Bay who have been counting the days until the start of the new season, we are now just 47 days away from the first official puck drop of the regular season. That’s right ladies and gentlemen…we are just over two and a half months from Lightning Hockey.
Tampa Bay Lightning
While Tampa Bay Lightning fans sit in eager anticipation of the start of the new season, let’s take a moment to look at some of the top headlines making their way around the Bolts Nation as well as some of the news from around the National Hockey League.
As most of you know by now, over the course of the off-season the Tampa Bay Lightning have been conducting a little competition where Lightning fans cast their vote for some of their favorite moments of the 2015-16 season. As it stands now, the competition as it stands now is in the final stage of what they call the “Elite Eight.”
One of our favorite moments of the season is in this particular bracket. The Tampa Bay Lightning were playing the Winnipeg Jets where they found themselves tied at three each at the end of the period. Of course, this means it’s time for a three-on-three overtime.
Just 36 seconds into the extra frame, Victor Hedman, Steven Stamkos, and finally Ondrej Palat would beautifully execute a tic-tac-goal to bring the Lightning to a 4-3 victory.
If you want to cast your vote for this, or any other of your favorite moments of the season, head on over to the Tampa Bay Lightning’s official site. Don’t hesitate, though. You only have until 12:00 noon on Monday, August 29th to have your vote counted. (Tampa Bay Lightning)
Much like the Tampa Bay Lightning are preparing for the upcoming 2016-17 season, the Lightning’s American Hockey League affiliates, the Syracuse Crunch, are also preparing for their return to the ice. Although they may be s little behind in terms of releasing information, the Crunch has finally given fans something to look forward to.
The Syracuse Crunch have officially announced their schedule for the 2016-17 season. The Crunch will be kicking off their season on October 15th, just two days after the Tampa Bay Lightning Home Opener against the Detroit Red Wings. There are plenty of exciting encounters awaiting the Crunch this season. (Bolts By The Bay)
Over the course of the off-season, we here at Bolts By The Bay have been taking a look back at the 2015-16 season and how each of the players’ contributions (or lack thereof) impacted the team as a whole. In the latest article in the series, we take a closer look at the season of Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. (Bolts By The Bay)
Now that Training Camp is right around the corner, the real fun is about to begin. As all 30 teams in the NHL hit the ice, it will be up to the General Manager, in this case, Steve Yzerman, and Head Coach, Jon Cooper, to take the players in front of them and turn them into a well-oiled machine headed into the regular season.
The people over at Bleacher Report have taken a closer look at all 30 teams in the National Hockey League and broke down what could be quite a battle heading into training camp. What do they have to say about the Tampa Bay Lightning? (Bleacher Report)
New From Around The National Hockey League
Before the hockey world turns their heads to the 2016-17 season, fans will get a little something extra, an international tournament known as the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. The Tampa Bay Lightning have 12 players representing the Bolts.
The people over at NHL.com have taken the time to look at the shutdown defensemen heading to the tournament to represent their native country. Now, the league has decided which defensemen are the best of their respective countries. We’re pretty certain you’ll like at least one of those names on the list. (NHL.com)
On April 21st, the world lost one of the most prolific singer/songwriters in the world. Prince Rogers Nelson, otherwise known to the world as Prince died due to an accidental drug overdose. What many people don’t know is just how much this epic superstar did for the people in his community.
While he may have traveled the world many times over, he always came back to his native Minnesota. In honor of his passing, the Minnesota Wild have elected to change their goal song. Every time the Wild score a goal at home, fans will hear the song “Let’s Go Crazy!” by their native son, Prince. (Minnesota Wild)
As many of you know, when the upcoming season starts, all 30 of the teams in the NHL will have to be cap compliant. There are some teams that will have a little more work to do in order to achieve this goal. At the same time, there are some teams who are teetering on the edge.
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One of those teams is the Toronto Maple Leafs. As of right now, the Toronto Maple Leafs are sitting on 48 contracts, which is two short of the league maximum of 50. If they want to find themselves in a more flexible position heading into the new season, there may be some necessary moves.
Tim Chiasson, Hockey Expert over at Editor in Leaf, takes a closer look at the situation and breaks down some of the other teams in the NHL who could be of assistance to the Maple Leafs. (Editor in Leaf)
The off-season can sometimes seem treacherous for hockey fans. It’s basically like being thrown into purgatory while they await the upcoming season. The off-season can mean many things to a player. It gives them time to heal any nagging injuries, spend time with their families, and recondition themselves for another year of doing what they love.
Andrew Thompson, Boston Bruins Expert over at Causeway Crowd, takes a closer look inside the Bruins organization and discusses the upside of the off-season. (Causeway Crowd)
Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Year In Review: Andrei Vasilevskiy
The Tampa Bay Lightning still have some things that need to be worked out before the start of the 2016-17 season; however, with someone like Steve Yzerman behind the reins, we have a good feeling everything will work out in good time.