Sunshine surprise

Get used to it, hockey fans; Lightning will strike silver

Maybe you heard that Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Jay Feaster had a bad reaction to Sports Illustrated's NHL preview issue. When he saw where we'd slotted his Bolts -- a cool 30th out of 30 teams -- he turned a little teal. And after 16 years of "loyal" (his word) readership he canceled his subscription. "If that's the type of lousy work they're going to do, you have to question their integrity," Feaster told the St. Petersburg Times.

I mean, really, how could we? Tampa Bay finished a robust 27th overall last year. And the Lightning ended the season on a sparkling 2-9-1 run. Over the past two years they've gone 51-87-17-9 (research reveals that is not, in fact, the worst stretch in NHL history). Then, this offseason they brought in a left-wing (Ruslan Fedotenko) who rocked the league with 26 points in 78 games last season and a defenseman (Brad Lukowich) who actually scored a goal. Thirtieth place? What in the name of Terry Crisp were we thinking?

We really look like fools now. The Lightning, the upstart, never-say-die Lightning, who have missed the playoffs in nine of the 10 years they've existed, are the last unbeaten team in the league! They've averaged more goals per game (4.3) than anyone, even the Red Wings. They won one game over the Thrashers thanks to a gorgeous, sprawling, one-armed goal by franchise center Vincent Lecavalier (you've seen the highlight: he did a superb belly-flop). They've rallied from a two-goal deficit to pull out a 2-2 tie against the formidable Blue Jackets. They've beaten the powerful Panthers. They've taken care of the fearsome Rangers. They also thumped the Thrashers and now, in late October, they lead Atlanta by no fewer than nine points in the Southeast Division. Thirtieth place? Oy vey!

It is a week before Halloween and the Lightning are one scary bunch, all dressed up as a first-place team. "They keep coming at you," Blue Jackets coach Dave King said after settling for the aforementioned tie.

It gets better. The Lightning have avoided a loss for two whole games without Lecavalier, who is sidelined for 10 days with a sprained right knee. They are being paced by the pocket-sized prince Martin St. Louis, a 5-foot-9 jitterbug of a center, and they're deeper than you think. There's defenseman Dan Boyle (no relation to Peter), who can't stop scoring, and center Brad Richards (no relation to Renee), who is as close to being a franchise forward as Lecavalier is. They also have Nikolai Khabibulin, the world-class goalie who was brought in by Feaster's predecessor, Rick Dudley.

You HAVE to love them. First off, they play in a Palace by the sea. They have a low payroll ($28.1 million, or about what it costs to take a family of four to a Rangers game), they're young (average age: 26 years, eight months) and they all wear that adorable squiggly line on their chests.

It used to be that Tampa Bay was the hinterlands of the NHL. But check this out: Trade winds indicate that the Lightning may be in the market to acquire Kyle McLaren, Boston's big, badass restricted free-agent holdout. What does McLaren's agent, Neil Abbott think of that? "Tampa is a great place, and the hockey team is playing super," he said. "It's a place any hockey player should take a look at."

Huh? Is that the same Tampa Bay we know and dismiss? Folks, it's time to recognize the dawning of a new Eastern light. Forget 30th place -- the Lightning are going to finish No. 1. That's right. No. 1. This isn't just some lousy prognostication. No, sir. This year the ghost of Lord Stanley starts looking for a good seafood joint near Channelside Drive. The Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the top of the NHL and, come springtime, we promise not to say we told you so.

Sports Illustrated senior writer Kostya Kennedy takes sides every Wednesday at CNNSI.com.

 

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