Tampa Bay Lightning: Top Rivalries Heading Into 2016-17 Season

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Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

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.

Honorable mention – New York Islanders

Although the two teams only played each other three times during the regular season, the intensity between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders increased during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs. Even though the series only lasted five games, I felt like there was some real hatred between the two sides, especially after games three and four.

During the two games in Brooklyn, there was great energy and the building was rocking, mainly because of the back-and-forth nature of game three and the thunderous hit by Thomas Hickey on Lightning forward Jonathan Drouin during the second period of that game. All of that only added to the intensity of the series. As we know, the Lightning would go onto win 5-4 in overtime.

This match-up by no means constitutes a rivalry, but I gave it an honorable mention because of the playoff series and some of the regular season games, especially the 7-4 victory by the Lightning on March 25th. Come next season, the three games against the Islanders will be something to watch out for and it’ll be interesting to see how the first game since the second round plays out.

Nonetheless, the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Islanders are both solid teams and may very well meet each other in a future playoff series. Each team has a core of good, young players and both play in fairly competitive divisions, so it should be interesting to see how each finish after this coming season.

Next: Number Five

#5 – Montreal Canadiens

In four games last season, the Tampa Bay Lightning couldn’t find a way to beat their divisional rivals in the Montreal Canadiens. That was just the opposite in 2014-15 when the Lightning swept the Canadiens in the regular season (5-0-0) and won four out of six games during the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs (4-2-0).

Tampa Bay Lightning

Despite being a less competitive match-up this year, the Lightning and Canadiens have built up a bit of a rivalry between each other and that’s why it lands as number five on this list. The recent playoff meetings and regular season games have made the storylines between the two teams very interesting.

A few moments from the past couple of years come to mind, especially during the second round of the 2015 Stanley Cup Playoffs, when the Lightning went up 3-0 on the Canadiens with a chance to close them out in games four and five. Game five in Montreal was certainly an emotional one and the Habs won 2-1. However, the Lightning would go on to win game six at home and move on.

Also, the scrums between Brandon Prust and Ben Bishop were both humorous and aggravating at the same time. Prust, however, is no longer with the Canadiens or in the Eastern Conference, for that matter.

If the Canadiens can get back on track this coming season, I would expect the intensity to rise a bit. If not, though, I still believe there will be a mild hatred between the two. Whether it be at Amalie Arena or Bell Centre, a game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens is an interesting occasion.

Next: Number Four

#4 – New York Rangers

An original six franchise has a rivalry with a Sun Belt expansion team? You could say that. Over the last two seasons, the New York Rangers and Tampa Bay Lightning have played each other in some huge games, most notably in game seven of the 2015 Eastern Conference Final, which the Lightning won 2-0.

Tampa Bay Lightning

That playoff series in 2015 sparked a bit of a rivalry between the two teams and though they didn’t meet last postseason, the Lightning and Rangers aren’t too fond of each other and they’ll continue to play one another regularly throughout the season.

With the Lightning still on the rise and the Rangers on a bit of a decline, will this “rivalry” continue to build? Possibly. If the Rangers remain competitive, the regular season meetings between the two should be interesting and maybe a future playoff series could be in store. In 2015-16, the two teams played on a nationally televised Wednesday Night Rivalry game on the NBC Sports Network, which New York won by a 5-2 score at Amalie Arena.

With Marty St. Louis fully in retirement prior to last season and the two teams going on different trajectories, there may not be as much passion and energy when the two clubs meet, but I still think the three games this season will be interesting to watch.

Nonetheless, this rivalry between the Tampa Bay Lightning and New York Rangers is still developing and could get more intense in 2016-17 and as the seasons progress, especially if they meet with more at stake.

Next: Number Three

#3 – Pittsburgh Penguins

One playoff series can really create some strife between two teams, huh? Even though I wouldn’t constitute this as a true rivalry, I will say that last season’s Eastern Conference Final match-up between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Pittsburgh Penguins certainly created some tension between the two clubs.

Tampa Bay Lightning

Despite not playing in the same division and having a relatively clean past with each other, I put this rivalry in the number three spot mainly because of the Conference Final. Remember, this article mainly deals with the 2015-16 season. If not for that third round series, Pittsburgh likely wouldn’t have made it onto this list.

The Lightning swept the Penguins in the regular season series and battled them to the end during the Conference Final, going the full seven games while eventually falling short in the final game, 2-1. As a result, Tampa Bay will seek to avenge that loss and rebound against one of the NHL’s best.

Both teams have speed up front and are mobile defensively with Victor Hedman and Kris Letang, respectively, which makes for a great match-up. I think all three games this season will be hard-fought, close battles with a lot of energy.

On a side note, the Penguins have the best odds to repeat as Stanley Cup champions as 8/1 favorites, while the Lightning sit at fourth on the list with 10/1 odds.

After claiming their fourth Stanley Cup, the Penguins are set up to have more success down the road and I could see a Conference Final rematch in the future. The December 10th game between the Lightning and Penguins should be a great one and it’ll be the first meeting between the two since game seven.

Next: Number Two

#2 – Detroit Red Wings

Since moving over from the Western Conference and into the Atlantic Division, the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning have met in two playoff series and thirteen regular season games (the Lightning are 9-4-0 against the Wings since the realignment in 2013). As a result, the two teams have built up a bit of a rivalry and each fan base has shown its dislike for one another.

The 2015 first round match-up between the Lightning and Red Wings was particularly intense, as that series went back and forth and was finally decided in a thrilling game seven at Amalie Arena. But, sparks flew towards the end of game two during the first round series in 2016 and players from both sides were involved in a massive scrum at the end of the ice.

It all started with Detroit forward and former member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, Brad Richards, slashing defenseman Andrej Sustr‘s stick in front of Ben Bishop, which caused Lightning defenseman Nikita Nesterov to get involved and it all went down from there. Red Wings winger Justin Abdelkader even jumped in on the action and began unloading punches on Mike Blunden.

By the time everything had been cleared, the Lightning had already sealed up a 5-2 victory over the Red Wings and jumped out to a 2-0 series lead. Tampa Bay would go onto win the series in five games and once again sent Detroit packing early in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

As you can tell, whenever these two teams meet, you can expect an intense, close, and tight checking game. We’ll see what the 2016-17 season has to bring between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Detroit Red Wings.

Next: Number One

#1 – Florida Panthers

Potentially one of the NHL’s next best rivalries, the “Sunshine Showdown” definitely flashed signs of what could be in the near future. With the Florida Panthers on the rise and the Tampa Bay Lightning remaining in contention for a championship, there could be a new hockey rivalry in the Sunshine State that actually has meaning to it.

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For years we were waiting for the time when a game between the Lightning and Panthers meant something important and had something at stake, but it never really came. Until now. Since both teams compete in the Atlantic Division, they see each other often and last season featured a few important games, including a game late in the season on March 26th when the Panthers won 5-2, which basically locked up the division title for them.

Even though they didn’t meet in the playoffs last season, the Lightning and Panthers are still two of the best in the division and will continue to battle each other in the coming seasons. Eventually, I would like to see the two clubs meet in the postseason and compete in the first ever Florida-only Stanley Cup Playoff series. It would not only be exciting and thrilling to watch, but it would spread awareness for the game of hockey in the Southeast and continue to grow the game in Florida.

With the rise of the Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, the NHL’s newest rivalry might just emerge in the heat of the South. This past season was particularly exciting and I hope that both teams remain competitive for years to come.

And with that, the top rival heading into 2016-17, in my opinion, for the Tampa Bay Lightning is the Florida Panthers.

Next: Conclusion

Mar 22, 2016; Tampa, FL, USA; Detroit Red Wings defenseman Brendan Smith (2) and Tampa Bay Lightning right wing J.T. Brown (23) fight during the second period at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports /

There you have it. That concludes my list of the top five rivalries with the Tampa Bay Lightning going into the 2016-17 season. I understand that you, the reader, may have a different top five than me, so feel free to make your own list and debate with other fans what you think the best rivalries of last season were and what the best will be this coming season and have fun with it.

Now, some people might wonder why I put the New York Rangers on this list and not the Washington Capitals or Boston Bruins, per say. In that case, I personally did not feel that the games between the latter two teams had the same passion or meaning as did with the former. It’s just my opinion. Once again as a reminder, this list was mainly about what happened in 2015-16 and what could develop this season, though I did reference prior seasons multiple times.

I will say, though, that games between the two aforementioned teams will have some meaning and intensity, nonetheless.

To recap, the designated honorable mention went to the New York Islanders, the Montreal Canadiens landed at number five, the New York Rangers landed at number four, the Pittsburgh Penguins landed at number three, the Detroit Red Wings landed at number two, and the Florida Panthers claimed the top spot on this list.

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Expansion Draft Breakdown: Forwards

The Tampa Bay Lightning are still on course for a Stanley Cup and the recent signings of captain Steven Stamkos and defenseman Victor Hedman have only kept the window open longer. As the seasons progress, we will likely see new rivalries develop and current ones intensify. Next season can’t come soon enough.

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