i wish i knew

I have articles and a video I compiled today to share but first let’s start with the last article I read.

Lecavalier was absent from this morning’s practice.  For a good reason of course, he and wife welcomed their second child, a baby boy.

The Lightning home opener at the newly remodeled St. Pete Times Forum was a not a win.  $40 million in renovations doesn’t guarantee a win but maybe it helped pack the place with a sell out crowd of over 19,000 fans.  C’mon they have a party deck. Yep, party deck.  Curious about the renovations? Read about it or check out some pictures.

(I might be a little lot jealous. But we’re making plans to check them out ourselves early next year.)

Another loss, this time at home, is making fans wonder where the team that battled so hard in the playoffs is this season.  Personally, I think it’s still early to judge though it’s always nice to bank points at the beginning of the season.  Some think Roloson may be creaking a bit.

I think this was my favorite article from today.  An open letter to the Tampa Bay Lightning Players  from Raw Charge.

We need some wins soon but I think like a lot of other teams *coughWingsPowerPlayscough* are still figuring it out.

{sidenote: What is with all this time in between the Wings games this month? We need this break in February, not October.}

{fun fact: Last time the Wings went 4-0 to start the season was in 97-98 when they won the Stanley Cup.}

I’ll leave you with the Proud Dad of the day, Lecavalier’s top shelf goal last night.

Last night’s game was hard to watch but the Red Wings put up a gallant fight against the San Jose Sharks. I’m sad but at least I’m not embarrassed.  Well the hit between Hudler and Cleary that took Cleary out of the game might have made me wince.

Lucky for me the Wings aren’t my only NHL team.  Yes I’m from Detroit, yes I’m aware that Steve Yzerman is now the GM for Tampa Bay but I promise you this is not why I’m a Bolts fan.  Those reasons have nothing to do with my devotion to this Eastern Conference team.  I’ve written about it elsewhere but a quick recap – I watched the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in 2004 and they officially became my team when we moved to Tampa in 2005, when they weren’t that great.  Since then we’ve watched all the games we could, flew to Florida each time the Wings played Tampa at their home rink and followed the players careers.

I wish I could be at the Tampa home games now.

Obviously we live closer to Boston, a mere 12 hour drive, half the time it would take to drive to Florida.  We threw the idea out there but when I looked up ticket prices the difference between the TD Garden and the St. Pete Times Forum amazed me.  Prices for the Forum started at $50 and  at the Garden $145 on Ticketmaster.  I’m from Detroit, I get why but it doesn’t take away the shock factor.

So lucky Tampa fans who are going to the playoffs or maybe hold season tickets now, take advantage while you can.  With Stevie as your GM and Boucher kicking butt as head coach, your ticket prices are almost guaranteed to rise in the coming years.  You’re safe next season, as I heard they aren’t raising prices, but I’d bet my bottom dollar they won’t be that affordable in the future.

When Saturday evening rolls around I’ll be cheering on the Bolts  from my couch and it has to do with the fact that I know this team, almost as well as, I know the Wings.