Tampa Bay Lightning

Verified Timeline

Lore & Background

The rivalry between the New Jersey Devils and the Tampa Bay Lightning is not covered in the source. The source focuses on the Lightning's history from their founding in 1990 through the early 2000s, including their expansion, early struggles, ownership changes, and first Stanley Cup win in 2004. It mentions the Lightning's playoff appearances in 1996 and 2003 but does not describe any specific rivalry with the Devils. The source notes that the Lightning played the Philadelphia Flyers in the first round of the 1996 playoffs, losing in six games, and that the 2003 Eastern Conference Finals are not mentioned at all. Without source support, no details about a Devils-Lightning rivalry can be provided.

In Their Own Story

The air inside the ThunderDome was electric on the night of game three of the 1996 first-round playoff series against the Philadelphia Flyers. A crowd of 28,183 packed the building, the largest ever for an NHL game at the time and still the largest for a Stanley Cup playoffs game. The Lightning won in overtime, but lost the series in six games. That season, backed by Brian Bradley's team-leading 79 points, the Lightning had qualified for the playoffs for the first time. The team had moved into the ThunderDome the previous season, a baseball stadium reconfigured for hockey, and would move to the Ice Palace (now Benchmark International Arena) for the 1996–97 season.

Reader's Guide

The rivalry between the New Jersey Devils and Tampa Bay Lightning is not supported by the source. The source covers the Lightning's early years, including their expansion in 1990, their first regular-season game on October 7, 1992, where they defeated the Chicago Blackhawks 7–3 with four goals by Chris Kontos, and their move to the ThunderDome in St. Petersburg. It details the team's financial struggles under Kokusai Green, the sale to Art Williams in 1998, and then to Bill Davidson in 1999. The source mentions the drafting of Vincent Lecavalier first overall in 1998 and the firing of Phil Esposito and Tony Esposito two games into the 1998–99 season. No mention is made of the Devils or any rivalry with them.

Did You Know?

• The Lightning were named after Tampa Bay's status as the 'Lightning Capital of North America.'
• Manon Rhéaume became the first woman to play in any major professional sports league when she suited up for the Lightning in a preseason game in September 1992, stopping seven of nine shots.
• The Lightning's 28,183 crowd for game three of the 1996 playoffs against the Philadelphia Flyers remains the largest crowd at a Stanley Cup playoffs game.
• The Lightning were the first team in NHL history to post four straight 50-loss seasons, from 1999–2000 to 2000–01.
• The Lightning tied the then-all-time record for regular season wins in the 2018–19 season with 62, winning the Presidents' Trophy.