Happy birthday, Mom; Stamkos shines in Bolts’ win

March 4, 2018 general

Sunday, 3 p.m. A dozen times, they lost the game. Thirteen times, they won it. Steven Stamkos capped a terrific afternoon Saturday when he scored to clinch the team’s shootout win, 7-6 over the Philadelphia Flyers. It doesn’t count as a goal, but Stamkos, on hcAUKis mother’s birthday, had two other goals and three assists […]

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Ask Gary: Players Union takes aim at Rays

March 3, 2018 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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Conacher’s highlight-reel goal lifts Lightning in OT

March 2, 2018 general

Friday, 4 a.m. This is why they brought him back. This is why they handed him a familiar jersey once again. Cory Conacher, the retread, scored a slipping, sliding, acrobatic goal with 41 seconds to play in overtime Thursday night, leading the Bolts to a 5-4 overtime victory over the Dallas Stars. If you’ll remember, […]

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Lightning stumbles against last-place Buffalo

March 1, 2018 general

Thursday, 4 a.m. Just when you thought the Tampa Bay Lightning had healed itself, they tripped over the Buffalo Sabres. Again. The Lightning fell to the last-place Sabres (who have been outscored by 54 goals this year) in overtime Wednesday night by a 2-1 score. The Bolts played without the NHL’s leading scorer in Nikita […]

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Tampa Bay has a mixed history of making trades

February 28, 2018 general

Wednesday, 3 a.m. Now that he has established himself as the Master of the Deal, we are prepared to build a statue for Steve Yzerman. All he has to do is win a cup, and he’ll be golden forever. There was so much to like about Monday’s trade to acquire Ryan McDonagh and J.T. Miller. […]

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Bolts follow familiar pattern in victory

February 27, 2018 general

Tuesday, 4 a.m. Stop me if you’ve heard this one before. Overtime. Offensively, Braydon Point scores. Defensively, Andrei Vasilevskiy makes certain no one else does. Lightning win, 4-3. Yeah, the Lightning followed the same script as a week ago in a shootout win over the Toronto Maple Leafs. Back then, they beat the Montreal Canadiens, […]

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Lightning trade improves playoff chances

February 27, 2018 general

Tuesday, 2 a.m. Look at this way: The Lightning traded a chunk of tomorrow for some defense today. Sounds good to me. They traded potential and performance. They traded the future for the present. They traded what will be for what currently is. They traded a chance for a better chance. And bully for them. […]

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After the firesale, could the Rays lose 100 games?

February 26, 2018 general

Friday, 4 a.m. These days, you cannot help but notice the dark cloud over the franchise known as the Tampa Bay Rays. Soon enough, you may wonder if it is a mushroom cloud. These are dark days for the Rays. They have given away the face of their franchise, the team’s all-star, the team’s MVP […]

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Random thoughts: Rays’ fans punched again

February 25, 2018 general

Sunday, 4 a.m. Forgive me if I’m repetitive, but that hollow feeling when you read about the Rays is, too. After the injury to prospect Brent Honeywell, you have to ask, though. Is this the worst spring training a team ever had? — To recount: The face of the franchise? Gone. The All-Star? Gone. The […]

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Vasilevskiy earns his 36th win in beating Montreal

February 25, 2018 general

Sunday, 3 a.m. He no longer seems young. He no longer seems new. He no longer looks like a man trying to play in the best hockey league in the world. These days, Andrei Vasilevskiy looks … like a goaltender. Vasilevskiy, in his first full season as a starter, won his 36th game of the […]

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