Post by Deleted on Sept 12, 2023 7:48:48 GMT -6
As we approach the opening of training camps, there is optimism in Tampa Bay. The Lightning had a disappointing 2022-23 campaign, to say the least. Missing the playoffs was a shock to many in the organization, including GM Brad Palmer. They stumbled out of the gate, and could never catch their footing. Despite a respectable finish, they had lost too much ground in the early months of the season, and the push was too little, too late.
Which brings us to training camp. Diehard fans will recall an abysmal preseason last year. At the time, many inside the organization wrote it off. So did many outside the organization. After all, it was just preseason. But clearly, it was sign of things to come. An inability to score goals hampered this team all year, and Andrei Vasilevskiy's Vezina calibre campaign wasn't enough on its own. The fact of the matter is this team needs a better start, and that begins immediately with training camp.
Enter Sidney Crosby. The best leader in the game is in town for his first training camp in the Bay area. Not surprisingly, the whole team is in town early this year to join him. The players have gathered in Davis Islands, a Florida neighborhood well known for housing Lightning players for years. The small island community outside of downtown Tampa has been a hot spot for millionaires, and has landed one more in number 87. But it's not all jetskis and catamarans. The players have been on the ice together twice a day since August, and are preparing for a pivotal season.
Can a leadership group of Crosby, Jack Eichel, and Erik Karlsson lead this team to glory? With Vasilevskiy in net, it's certainly possible. But the team still lacks depth, and needs the stars to shine. Maybe the Florida sun is the secret ingredient that gets them to the promised land.
Which brings us to training camp. Diehard fans will recall an abysmal preseason last year. At the time, many inside the organization wrote it off. So did many outside the organization. After all, it was just preseason. But clearly, it was sign of things to come. An inability to score goals hampered this team all year, and Andrei Vasilevskiy's Vezina calibre campaign wasn't enough on its own. The fact of the matter is this team needs a better start, and that begins immediately with training camp.
Enter Sidney Crosby. The best leader in the game is in town for his first training camp in the Bay area. Not surprisingly, the whole team is in town early this year to join him. The players have gathered in Davis Islands, a Florida neighborhood well known for housing Lightning players for years. The small island community outside of downtown Tampa has been a hot spot for millionaires, and has landed one more in number 87. But it's not all jetskis and catamarans. The players have been on the ice together twice a day since August, and are preparing for a pivotal season.
Can a leadership group of Crosby, Jack Eichel, and Erik Karlsson lead this team to glory? With Vasilevskiy in net, it's certainly possible. But the team still lacks depth, and needs the stars to shine. Maybe the Florida sun is the secret ingredient that gets them to the promised land.
