At long last, the National Hockey League’s schedule for the 2013-14 season has been released. The Lightning will open the season with three road games before returning to the Tampa Bay Times Forum for their home opener on October 10th.

With an Olympic break planned from February 9th to February 25th, this year’s schedule sees the Lightning play a lot of games down the stretch. The team will take to the ice for 15 contests in January followed up by another 16 in March. Considering the fact that a number of Lightning players should make their respective Olympic teams, it will be interesting to see how guys cope with another season of night-in, night-out hockey.

Here are some schedule highlights:

* The Lightning will be in Chicago for a tilt against the Blackhawks on October 5th. After only facing Eastern Conference foes in the 2013 season, the Lightning will finally have a chance to go up against some unfamiliar faces. The defending Stanley Cup champions will provide the Lightning with a huge test in only their second game of the season.

* Following three games on the road to open the season, the Lightning will then play seven straight games at the Tampa Bay Times Forum against some great opponents. The Florida Panthers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Los Angeles Kings, Minnesota Wild, Boston Bruins, Chicago Blackhawks, and Buffalo Sabres will all come through town during that 16 day stretch. For the hometown fans, this will serve as a fantastic way to kick off the year.

* The Lightning are in New Jersey on October 29th. While this game may not mean much to the casual observer, this blogger is incredibly intrigued to see how Cory Schneider performs on a new team and in a new division.

* The Edmonton Oilers come to town on November 7th, bringing with them a glut of young talent. Guys like Taylor Hall, Jordan Eberle, Ryan Nugent-Hopkins, and Nail Yakupov are all phenomenal hockey players. As the Oilers look to avoid missing the playoffs for the eighth straight season, those guys will play an integral role in determining the team’s fate.

* Vincent Lecavalier will make his return to Tampa with the Philadelphia Flyers on November 27th. It will be an emotional night for all parties involved, and one that we probably won’t forget anytime soon. Bolts Nation will be out in full force and the TBTF crowd will most certainly be at its best. The 27th of November is definitely a date to mark down in your calendar.

* The Detroit Red Wings roll through town on December 12th. With new faces like Stephen Weiss and Daniel Alfredsson, the Wings once again look poised and ready to make a big playoff run. As Steve Yzerman continues to build the Lightning, it’s abundantly clear that he’s looking at the Red Wings as the model organization. The Lightning will get a firsthand look at those Wings in mid-December.

* If you want to know what the Lightning missed out on when they passed over Seth Jones in this year’s draft, you’ll get your chance on December 19th. Shea Weber and the Nashville Predators are coming to town. Assuming that both players are in the lineup, a Drouin/Jones battle could be awesome.

* Immediately following the Christmas break, the Montreal Canadiens are in Tampa for a December 28th contest. This game really doesn’t need any buildup, as battles between the Lightning and Canadiens are generally good.

* Jonathan Drouin’s former Halifax teammate, Nathan MacKinnon, will come to the Forum with his Colorado Avalanche on January 25th.

* The Lightning play six straight games on home ice before closing the season on the road in Washington. The six home games will give Bolts Nation the chance to see the Canadiens, Flames, Stars, Maple Leafs, Flyers, and Blue Jackets. If the team is in the mix for a playoff spot as the end of the season nears, this home stretch will be a make-or-break moment.

* The Lightning’s longest road trip is only four games, but in late December/early January the team will be out on the road for seven games in an eight game stretch.

* All in all, the 2013-14 schedule is a pretty good one for the Lightning. With a couple of lengthy home stands sitting as bookends on the schedule, the team will have a definite opportunity to pick up points right out of the gate and as the season winds down.


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What are your thoughts on the Lightning’s schedule? Which teams are you excited to see in action? Let me know in the comments section.

As always, thanks for reading.

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