Tampa Bay Lightning 2017-18 season: Top games each month
By Will Clewis
October
As previously mentioned, the Tampa Bay Lightning will open the season against the Florida Panthers at Amalie Arena and will travel to Sunrise the next day for their first road game of the year. This is an in-state and divisional rivalry, and those games are always interesting to watch. The Bolts went 2-1-1 during their four game season series against Florida.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Though both the Lightning and Panthers had “off” seasons and missed the playoffs, there’s a chance this matchup will continue to be intense and rough, even though some people don’t consider it a true rivalry. Nonetheless, it’s a top set in October amidst other higher-profile games during the same month.
Just two days after their first two games, the Lightning will face the Washington Capitals on Oct. 9 at home and welcome the defending Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Penguins on Oct. 12. The Lightning did not fare well against either team, going a combined 1-5-0 in six games last season.
Both of those teams are expected to lead the Eastern Conference and contend for the Stanley Cup this coming season, aside from just being tough opponents on a given night.
The Tampa Bay Lightning will go onto to face the Penguins again just over a week later and travel to Ohio to take on another tough Metropolitan Division team in the Columbus Blue Jackets on Oct. 19. The first month also features two games against division rival Detroit Red Wings (Oct. 16, 22), which the Lightning swept in the season series in 2016-17.
That Oct. 16 meeting is a road game and will mark the Lightning’s first trip to Detroit’s new Little Caesars Arena downtown. Those Bolts vs. Wings meetings are always fun to watch, especially after recent playoff series.