| Tampa Bay Buccaneers
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| | first time in team history only two years
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| The Tampa Bay Buccaneers (often
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| | after losing 50 games for the fourth year
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| abbreviated as the Bucs) are a
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| | in a row. They won the Southeast by just
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| professional American football team based
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| | one point over the Capitals. That one
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| in Tampa, Florida. They are currently
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| | point made a big difference in their
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| members of the Southern Division of the
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| | first round matchup with Washington.
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| National Football Conference (NFC) in the
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| | The Lightning notched their first playoff
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| National Football League (NFL). The team,
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| | series win by beating the Capitals in a
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| along with the Seattle Seahawks, joined
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| | six-game series, with St. Louis scoring
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| the NFL as 1976 expansion teams. The club
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| | the series-winner in triple overtime. The
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| is currently owned by Malcolm Glazer and
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| | Lightning could not hold their own
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| coached by head coach Jon Gruden. When
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| | against their second-round opponent, the
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| the franchise entered the league in 1976,
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| | New Jersey Devils, however, losing that
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| the Buccaneers lost their first 26 games.
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| | series in five games. Khabibulin had a
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| After a brief winning era in the late
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| | 3.00 GAA in that Series before being
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| 1970s and early 1980s, the team suffered
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| | pulled in Game 5 in favor of John
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| through fourteen consecutive losing
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| | Grahame. The Devils went on to win the
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| seasons. For the past decade, however,
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| | Stanley Cup, but fans were ecstatic about
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| they have been a consistent contender,
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| | the Bolts' return to the post-season.
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| and won Super Bowl XXXVII at the end of
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| | After their breakout season, the
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| the 2002 season.
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| | Lightning finished 2003-04 first in the
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| After winning the division in 2005, the
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| | Eastern Conference with 106 points,
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| Bucs suffered through an abysmal 2006
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| | second-best in the league after the
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| season. The season was plagued by
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| | Detroit Red Wings. It was the first
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| injuries, with starters such as G Dan
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| | 100-point season in team history. “We
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| Buenning, WR Michael Clayton, RB Carnell
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| | feel very confident out there. We know
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| Williams, DE Simeon Rice, CB Brian Kelly,
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| | how to go out and win now,” Lecavalier
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| and QB Chris Simms all being placed on
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| | noted[citation needed]. Remarkably, the
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| injured reserve at some point in the
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| | Lightning went through the season with
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| season. The season also saw a lot of
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| | only 20 man-games lost to injury. In the
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| rookies starting for the Bucs, such as QB
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| | first round of the playoffs, the
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| Bruce Gradkowski, T Jeremy Trueblood, and
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| | Lightning ousted the Alexei Yashin-led
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| G Davin Joseph. The league schedule was
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| | New York Islanders, a team many had
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| also unfriendly to the Bucs, scheduling
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| | picked to upset the Southeast Division
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| them for 3 games (two of them away games)
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| | champs, as the Islanders had given the
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| within 11 days of each other.
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| | Lightning much trouble in the past.
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| The Bucs started off the season 0-3, with
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| | However, this was not to be so, and with
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| QB Chris Simms throwing only 1 touchdown
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| | solid play from goaltender Nikolai
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| to 7 interceptions. In the third game of
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| | Khabibulin, the Lightning went on to win
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| the season, a last-minute loss to the
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| | the series by a convincing 4-1 margin.
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| Carolina Panthers, Simms's spleen was
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| | In the second round, the Lightning faced
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| ruptured, and he was placed on injured
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| | the Montreal Canadiens, captained by Saku
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| reserve for the rest of the season. After
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| | Koivu. However, with at times
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| their bye week, the Bucs elected to start
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| | jaw-dropping play from Lecavalier,
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| rookie quarterback Bruce Gradkowski, a
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| | playoff MVP Richards, and once again,
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| 6th round pick from Toledo.
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| | Khabibulin, the Lightning were able to
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| Gradkowski started off performing
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| | sweep the Habs in 4 straight games. They
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| decently. The Bucs nearly upset the New
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| | faced Keith Primeau and his Philadelphia
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| Orleans Saints, and then went on to win
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| | Flyers in the Eastern Conference finals,
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| two narrow victories: one, against the
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| | winning in a back-and-forth seven-game
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| Cincinnati Bengals, winning on an
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| | series in which neither team was able to
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| overturned call resulting in a touchdown;
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| | win consecutive games (but in Game 7
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| and another against the Philadelphia
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| | winger Fredrik Modin became a thorn in
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| Eagles, thanks to Matt Bryant's 62-yard
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| | the side of the Flyers in the Lightning's
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| field goal. After these victories,
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| | 2-1 win on his game-winner), earning the
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| though, Gradkowski's performance
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| | Lightning their first-ever Eastern
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| declined. After a 3-17 loss to the New
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| | Conference championship and their
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| York Giants in heavy winds, the Bucs
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| | first-ever berth in the Stanley Cup
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| proceeded to lose 5 of their next 6
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| | finals.
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| games, leading them to a record of 3-10
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| | There they defeated the Jarome Iginla-led
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| (0-6 in their division). In the loss to
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| | Calgary Flames 4 games to 3 to win their
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| the Atlanta Falcons, Gradkowski was
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| | first Stanley Cup on June 7, 2004. Ruslan
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| replaced in the 4th quarter by yet
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| | Fedotenko was the Game 7 hero this time;
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| another backup quarterback, Tim Rattay.
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| | he scored two goals in that contest. Brad
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| In the first half of the Bucs' next game,
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| | Richards, who had 26 points, won the Conn
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| against the Chicago Bears, Gradkowski was
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| | Smythe Trophy; in all 31 contests in
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| again replaced by Rattay, who led the
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| | which he had scored a goal since the
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| team from a 24-3 deficit to a score of
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| | opening of the season, the Lightning did
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| 31-31, with three touchdowns in the
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| | not lose a single game. Tortorella won
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| fourth quarter. However, the Bucs then
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| | the Jack Adams Award as coach of the
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| lost the game in overtime, 34-31. Rattay
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| | year. Only three years after losing 50
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| was then named the new starting
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| | games, the Lightning became the
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| quarterback for the last two games for
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| | southernmost team ever to win the Stanley
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| the season. The Bucs finished their
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| | Cup. Martin St. Louis led the team and
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| season with a 4-12 record, tied for third
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| | the NHL with 94 points (and his 38 goals
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| worst in the NFL.
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| | were second-most after the 41 of tied
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| The Bucs will only send one player to the
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| | trio Iginla, Rick Nash and Ilya
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| 2007 Pro Bowl, cornerback Ronde Barber.
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| | Kovalchuk), and won the Hart Trophy as
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| In addition, the 2006 season was possiby
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| | the league's most valuable player. St.
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| the last season for fullback and fan
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| | Louis also won the Lester B. Pearson
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| favorite Mike Alstott.
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| | Award for league's most outstanding
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| The Tampa Bay Lightning is a professional
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| | player as voted by the NHL Players'
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| ice hockey team based in Tampa, Florida.
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| | Association, and tied the Vancouver
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| They play in the National Hockey League
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| | Canucks' Marek Malik for the NHL Plus
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| (NHL).
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| | Minus Award.
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| Entering the 2002-03 season, the
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| | Having entered the NHL in 1992-93, the
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| Lightning's largely young roster was
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| | Lightning are the third-fastest team to
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| thought to be a few years away from
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| | have a Stanley Cup win to their credit
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| contention. However, the team arrived
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| | and the second-southernmost to reach the
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| considerably earlier than expected. Led
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| | Final after the Florida Panthers. The
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| by the goaltending of Nikolai Khabibulin
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| | Lightning are second-southernmost in the
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| and the scoring efforts of Lecavalier,
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| | league overall, also behind the Panthers.
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| Martin St. Louis, Ruslan Fedotenko,
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| | The Lightning had to wait a year to
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| Vaclav Prospal, Fredrik Modin and Brad
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| | defend their title due to the 2004-05 NHL
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| Richards, and with a new captain, Dave
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| | lockout, but in 2005-06 they showed
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| Andreychuk, the Lightning battled the
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| | little sign of departing from the NHL's
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| Washington Capitals for first place in
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| | elite, although they experienced an early
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| the Southeast Division throughout the
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| | first-round playoff exit (losing to the
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| season. They finished with 93 points,
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| | Ottawa Senators 4 games to 1).
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| breaking the 90-point barrier for the
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