Oct 21 2008
Thrashers, Lightning renew rivalry tonight
By Bud L. Ellis
thrashers.today.com
ATLANTA — One season after battling for the Southeast Division title into the final week of the regular season, the Atlanta Thrashers and Tampa Bay Lightning waged a battle in 2007-08 nobody wants:
The battle for last place in the Eastern Conference.
One season after these two slug it out for the top spot in the division, the Thrashers and Lightning dropped like a rock in the standings. Atlanta, the Southeast champ in 2006-07, finished 14th in the East last season, one spot ahead of Tampa in both campaigns.
We’ve discussed the changes Atlanta’s made since April, but Tampa is a totally new team. A new/old face appears behind the bench, as Barry Melrose and his slicked-up ’do left ESPN to return to coaching. A re-tooled roster has the Lightning hoping for much better things this season.
The two tangle tonight in Tampa. You can’t blame folks along Florida’s west coast if they’re not paying attention to hockey just yet, not with the surprising Rays in the World Series for the first time.
Nonetheless, should be a game with plenty of scoring chances. The Thrashers and Lightning are among the teams that have allowed the most shots per game so far this season. And as we all know, these teams really don’t like each other.
Would be nice for the Thrashers to get a W, especially staring down a trip to Hockeytown Friday night to face the defending champion Red Wings.
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