Tampa Bay has many great sports teams that are close to the University of Tampa. One team, the Tampa Bay Lightning, are great at giving college students affordable deals for games. The Tampa Bay Lightning are midway through the 2013-2014 season, and it has been a fantastic one so far.
With the team being in the middle of the playoff hunt, each game is important from this point on. Although each game is exciting to see, there are a few select games that are a must see in the second half of the season.
The first game students should catch will be Thursday, March 6 against the Buffalo Sabres. When you first look at this game, it is not eye- popping, as the Sabres have the worst record in the entire NHL.
However, this game is very important because it is the targeted return date for Lightning star Steven Stamkos. Stamkos has missed over 40 games since breaking his tibia on Nov. 11, 2013 at Boston on a play where he crashed into the net. The Lightning have missed Stamkos’ presence in the lineup since his injury, and it will be a fun game to witness.
Another game not to miss is the March 17 battle against the Vancouver Canucks. Whenever the Canucks come in to town, you know it will be a hard fought game. The Sedin twins and the rest of the Vancouver team always give the Lightning a tough game. With the Lightning finally settled in with Stamkos, the Canucks will give an interesting game for the fans.
As the season fades into April, the race for the final playoff spots will get tough. The Lighting will most likely be battling to maintain the second or third seed in the Atlantic Division. In April, the Lighting have two important matchups against division foes. One will be on April 1 against the Montreal Canadiens and the other will be April 8 against the Toronto Maple Leafs. All three teams are within two points of each other at the moment, and it doesn’t look like any of these teams will wither away any time soon. For Tampa Bay to secure their playoff spot, it will be essential to win these division games. Whenever you get a Canadian team coming to Tampa, the atmosphere at the game is electric, and that will only be elevated as the playoff chase comes to a close.
The biggest game to watch will have to be the final home game of the regular season, when the Lightning take on the Columbus Blue Jackets on April 11. The playoff race will come down to the final days of the season for the Lightning, so this game will be a must win for Tampa Bay. It will also be Fan Appreciation Day.
The Tampa Bay Lightning have started their second half stretch in their road to the playoffs. Their road of big games starts with Buffalo through the game versus Columbus. The Lighting are looking to make their mark and make the playoffs, which will be their first step on the chase for the Stanley Cup.
Dominick Falco can be reached at dominick.falco@spartans.ut.edu.