When
Tampa was awarded an NHL franchise in 1991, the team's management
brought in star power before they had any players. They hired
1970s Boston Bruins star Phil Esposito (Lightning founder)
to be the General Manager, and Terry Crisp, who played for
the Philadelphia Flyers when they won two Stanley Cups in
the mid-1970s, and coached the Calgary Flames to a Stanley
Cup in 1989, to sit behind the bench.
The
Lightning first took the ice on October 7, 1992, shocking
the visiting Chicago Blackhawks 7-3 with four goals by little-known
Chris Kontos. The Lightning shot to the top of the Norris
Division within a month before faltering to finish in last
place. Their 53 points in 1992-1993, however, is one of the
best showings ever by an NHL expansion team, and Brian Bradley's
42 goals gave Tampa fans optimism for the next season.
After their breakout season in 2003, the Tampa Bay Lightning
finished the 2003-2004 season atop the Eastern Conference
standings with a franchise record 106 points. In the first
round of the playoffs, as the top seed, the Lightning ousted
the New York Islanders, a team many picked to upset the Eastern
Conference winners, as the Islanders had given the Lightning
much trouble in the past. However, this was not to be so,
and with solid play from goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, the
Lightning went on to win the series by a convincing 4-1 margin.
In the second round, the Lightning faced the Montreal Canadiens,
the most successful NHL team ever. However, with quality play
from both Vincent Lecavalier and once again, Nikolai Khabibulin,
the Lightning were able to easily defeat the Canadiens in
4 straight games. They faced the Philadelphia Flyers in the
Eastern Conference finals, winning in a back-and-forth seven-game
series in which neither team was able to win consecutive games
and earning them their first spot in the 2004 Stanley Cup
finals. There they defeated the Calgary Flames 4 games to
3 to win their first Stanley Cup on June 7, 2004. Brad Richards,
who had 26 points, won the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Founded: 1992-1993 (awarded December 20,
1991)
Arena: St. Pete Times Forum (formerly known
as Ice Palace)
Uniform colors: Black, White, Blue, and Silver
Logo design: A circle pierced by a lightning
bolt with the inscription "Tampa Bay LIGHTNING"
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