Exclusive Lightning coverage by Gary Shelton Sports

Bolts lose to Montreal as regular season nears end

April 3, 2019 general

Wednesday, 3 a.m. In 80 games, they have lost just 16 times. Still, every loss smells like trouble, doesn’t it? The Lightning, with little to play for but the record book, lost a 4-2 decision to a Montreal team that is playing for a wild-card spot. The Canadiens pulled into a tie for the second […]

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Lightning wins 60th game of the season

April 2, 2019 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Evidently, the Tampa Bay Lightning isn’t finished with its regular season yet. At a time when the Bolts should be preparing for the post-season, it fattened its record a bit more Monday night in Ottawa. The Lightning won, 5-2, for its 60th win of the season. Only two other teams in the […]

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Sluggish Bolts lose to Caps, Ovechkin

March 31, 2019 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Perhaps this is why Lightning coach Jon Cooper is so reluctant to give his players too much time off. They don’t respond well to rest, it appears. Following a four-day break, the Bolts had a rare stumble Saturday night, losing their final regular-season home game, 6-3. The Bolts fell behind 4-0. Two […]

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Is Cooper the best-ever coach of the Lightning?

March 27, 2019 general

Wednesday, 4 a.m. At the time of his hiring, Terry Crisp was the perfect coach. He was patient, and he was smart, and he was a great way for a new coach to say hello. But Jon Cooper is better. When he came aboard, Guy Boucher was a good idea. He thought outside the box […]

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Bolts rally to beat Bruins in historic season

March 26, 2019 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Are you tired of the record book lately? Are you weary of the assault on excellence by the Tampa Bay Lightning? Are you fatigued from reading, night after night, about the team or different players measuring up to the greats of the league? Well, no. Of course you aren’t. Once again, the […]

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Looking for a reason to believe in the Lightning?

March 25, 2019 general

Monday, 4 a.m. They have come close, but they have not come close enough. They have been near enough to the finish to sell tickets, but it has not been good enough. They have dwarfed much of the NHL, but in the end, they have not been big enough. Still, there are reasons to believe […]

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Lightning singing the Blues as streak stopped

March 24, 2019 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. As it turns out, the players of the  Tampa Bay Lightning are mortal, after all. The Lightning finally lost another game Saturday night, falling 4-3 to the St. Louis Blues. It was just the team’s 14th loss of the season, and it ended a seven-game winning streak. The Bolts fell behind 3-0 […]

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Ask Gary: Can the Lightning hold onto Cooper?

March 23, 2019 general

Each week, the readers take over GarySheltonsports.com and play Ask Gary. They send in a question, or a couple, on Thursday night or Friday morning and we all talk about the world of sports. Think of it as a radio show where you don’t have to be on hold. Join us and ask a question, […]

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‘Killer’ has hat trick in leading Bolts’ victory

March 17, 2019 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Seven seasons. Five hundred and seven games. One hundred and three goals. All of that, and Alex Killorn has never had a night such as this one. Killorn, or “Killer” to his Tampa Bay Lightning teammates, had the first hat trick of his career Saturday night, leading the Bolts to a 6-3 […]

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Random thoughts: Is Pittsburg still to be admired?

March 17, 2019 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. Once, the Pittsburgh Steelers were the most stable franchise in the NFL. They have great ownership, terrific coaching and a wonderful scouts. They were the team other teams wanted to be. Even if they didn’t win the title, they maintained excellence. Now? Not so much. In recent months, the Steelers have been […]

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