The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadians 4-3 on Thursday, December 29 in Tampa, FL. Tampa Bay rallied from a 3-1 deficit to defeat Montreal at the St. Pete Times Forum. Steven Stamkos had another big night as he scored to help Tampa Bay with the win. The Canadians dropped to 13th in the Eastern Conference Standings after the loss. Tampa Bay pulled ahead of Montreal with 35 points on the season to Montreal’s 33 points.
The Bolts are glad to continue their home stand after a 3 game road trip. Tampa Bay began a road trip against the Blue Jackets on Saturday, December 17 and traveled to San Jose, CA for a game against the Sharks on Wednesday, December 21. San Jose jumped out to a 5-0 lead in the first period and the Bolts could not recover as they lost 7-2 last Wednesday night. Tampa Bay finished out their road trip against Colorado on Friday night losing in Overtime.
The Bolts had a magical season last year that was cut short by a thrilling Game 7 loss against the Boston Bruins. There was optimism that this year would be just as special and maybe even a championship run would be in store for the Lightning. The 2011-2012 Season has not lived up to the hype but there is reason for optimism after Friday night’s game. They are currently in fourth place with the Florida Panthers leading the way in the Southeast Division.
Tampa Bay needed a win in their game against the Canadians on Thursday, December 29 and delivered in a big way. The Lightning continue their home stand with a game against the Carolina Hurricanes on New Year’s Eve at the St. Pete Times Forum. The game begins at 5:00 Eastern and is a chance for Tampa Bay to distance themselves from last place Carolina. The NHL season is a marathon but this is the perfect time for the Lightning to start making their move toward another playoff run.
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