Tampa Bay Lightning to play 6 nationally televised games 2017-18
The Tampa Bay Lightning will play in six nationally-broadcast games on the NBCSN network during the 2017-18 season.
Today, NBC unveiled their broadcast schedule for the 2017-18 NHL season. The Tampa Bay Lightning will have six of their games shown nationally this season. Their opponents include the Chicago Blackhawks twice, the Boston Bruins, the San Jose Sharks, the New Jersey Devils, and the St. Louis Blues. The 2018 Lightning hosted All-Star game will also be covered on the same stage.
The game against the Bruins will be featured as part of NBC’s Wednesday Night Rivalries series. Much like the Detroit Red Wings, the Bruins have become a divisional rival of the Bolts in recent years. Tampa Bay and the Bruins have a long history of scrappy and injury filled games. Between spears to the groin and season ending injuries, Bolts vs. Bruins games have always been eventful, if nothing else.
Both rematches of the 2015 Stanley Cup Final will also be shown nationally. The Chicago Blackhawks have been worthy opponents of the Bolts in seasons past and usually finish towards the top of the standings. These games will serve as great indicators of the Bolts season in progress, as the Blackhawks seldom go down without a fight — unless they’re playing the Predators (ZING!).
Here’s the full televised schedule:
- October 17 – Lightning at New Jersey
- November 8 – Lightning at San Jose
- November 22 – Blackhawks at Lightning
- November 29 – Lightning at Bruins
- December 12 – Lightning at St. Louis
- January 22d – Lightning at Blackhawks
When compared to the 17 Chicago games being shown or the 16 Penguins and Flyers games, six games might not seem like very many. However, between the six games shown and the All-Star Game, the Lightning will get plenty of national exposure. If you live in the Bay Area, local stations will also cover more games than are listed here. The same goes for those living in the area of other NHL teams. When the Bolts come to town, make sure to check your local sports channels for the game.
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With only a little over two months until the season starts, the countdown has already begun. If you count preseason games, there are less than two months until NHL Hockey returns. With the Lightning poised to rebound from the disappointing end of last season, it’s an exciting time to be a Bolts fan.