The Tampa Bay Lightning walked out of their season opener as the victors, defeating the Florida Panther 5-3 at home.
Welcome Back Steven Stamkos
The Lightning captain made his return to the ice last night and although he was unable to score a goal of his own, Stamkos still managed to put together a valuable contribution. With the game all tied up in the third period, Stamkos was able to find Vladislav Namestnikov for a goal that would put the Bolts ahead and they would never look back.
Seeing Stamkos back on the ice, looking healthy, and contributing was a wonderful sight to see. Hopefully, it will continue for the next 81 games and beyond.
Showing Resilience Once Again
For the Lightning, resilience is something they had to continue to show last season. Even with all of those injuries and changes to their roster, they were soo close to capturing a playoff spot. The Bolts once again displayed that resiliency last night, putting an end to the Panther comeback and securing a win.
Tampa came out of the gate hot, scoring the first two goals of the game. Unfortunately, Florida was able to scrap back and make the game even going into the third period. Losing a two-goal or more lead can sometimes take a serious toll on a team's mojo. Fortunately, the Lightning were able to erase it from their minds and score three more goals, making sure the Panthers could not come back.
Earning That New Contract
After players sign a new big contract, it is always a little nerve-racking for fans and the front office to see if the deal they made was worth it. Now it was only a one-game sample size but Ondrej Palat demonstrated last night that the Bolts made the right move giving him his deal. Palat scored the first goal of the night and also potted the empty-netter towards the end of the contest. It is always nice to score two goals in a game, no matter how you get them.
Up Next
The Lightning will get right back to the action tonight as they face the Florida Panthers for the second straight night at 7:00 PM ET at the BB&T Center.