Lightning home-opener = Awesomeness

Let me be clear that you may know me as, and yes I am a Devils fan. However, if a guy can have a second choice mine is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Particularly because my parents moved us to FL from NY when I was just a boy. My father took my whole family to an inaugural season game. So there will always be a special place in my heart for the Bolts.

If you don't know the story, the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004. What an accomplishment for a team below the Mason-Dixon line. And then the next year the lock-out happened. The energy was sucked right out of the city by the bay.

So this year's motto "Bring It Back!" & "All In!" Obviously meaning the Stanley Cup not another screw up CBA debacle. They must be "All In" this year. There's no way to explain how you had a 50 + goal scorer in Stamkos who tied Sidney Crosby last year for most in the NHL and not make the playoffs.

Tampa Bay is buzzing this year for hockey and the addition of Stevie Y helped. Simon Gagne has been added to the roster this year which helps solidify the Bolts' veteran core.

I was there on opening night against the Chicago Blackhawks  Atlanta Thrashers. It was just electric walking up and into the St. Pete Times Forum. The whole area around the stadium was just oozing with excitement for a hockey game (yes, in FL).

As I got to my seat, I was able to watch the end of the warm-up skate. I thought to myself, boys let's take it off the paper and make it reality on the ice. Marty St. Louis, Vinny, and Stamkos are the core. Now there's a new GM in town with Yzerman. In all honesty this team is quite capable of reclaiming Lord Stanley's Cup, maybe not this season, but very soon.

The lights went down:

 

 

 

Tampa took the game 5-3. Now they did blow a 4-0 lead in the 2nd & that is in part because of who Atlanta acquired in the off season, namely ex-Cup winning Blackhawks. However, the core that must lead the Bolts all had great games. Especially Stamkos who got 2 goals opening night. This is an example of what the Lightning need every game. This is what Tampa and the state of FL need to keep hockey on the minds of all of us who live here. Hey, I got my 10 game weekend tickets (2 tix to 10 games), at a bargain price and it's probably the best entertainment purchase I've made for myself. Nothing beats hockey live.

Phish with a side of Phun

I haven't seen Phish live since New Year's Eve 2003. I attended three of the four shows (29, 30, & 31). So it's been a while. My best friend and my sister where at those shows with me. Side note: my first show was Big Cypress! 10th anniversary this year!

Needless to say, when my sister called the other evening with absolute excitedawesomeness in her voice that she had gotten the lotto for Phish's NYE at Madison Square Garden this year; I promptly checked my email. There it was confirmation that I also won so we got our tickets to the 30th & 31st this year!!!!!!

So not only will I be seeing one of my favorite bands for my 8th & 9th Phish show, I will be seeing them on the 10yr anniversary of my first Phish experience! The really cool part is again my sister and best friend will be joining me; and I will have a very special awesome friend with me that has never experienced a Phish NYE! The candor, the excitement, and basic carnival atmosphere!

CHEESECAKE!!!!!

Without further adu here's the setlist & Grooveshark widget (songs are not the actual performance but you'll get the idea! Also for the 2nd set I didn't make it Chalkdust > Slave > Chalkdust, so Slave to the traffic light ends the set) from the last show I was at December 31, 2003: