Lightning energize Amway Center
Yanni Gourde is entering his second full season in the NHL with the Tampa Bay Lightning, but not so long ago, he was just a kid from Quebec with big hockey dreams and bigger hockey heroes. Most of those heroes played for his favorite team, the Montreal Canadiens. Gourde, 26, estimated he was about 15 years old when he attended his first game at the Canadiens’ home rink, the Bell Centre.
“The excitement is off the roof, because obviously I’ve been playing hockey my whole life,’’ Gourde said of the experience. “Just going to a game, I probably knew every player in both lineups, and I love watching hockey. It was just an exciting moment for me to see that.’’
Gourde, a forward, said he could not remember the Canadiens’ opponent on his big night. Even if he does not have total recall, a large part of that special memory — and the spark created by it — endures, just as those young fans attending an NHL game for the first time Thursday night at Amway Center won’t soon forget it.
Gourde provided a highlight with a second-period goal in the Lightning’s 6-2 preseason victory against the Florida Panthers before an announced crowd of 10,781. The game marked the first time the Lightning played in Orlando since 2013. Tampa Bay is beginning a three-year affiliation agreement with the ECHL’s Orlando Solar Bears this season.
“Inevitably, we’re just trying to build the sport down here,’’ Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said before the game. “To have two organizations like the Panthers and the Lightning and to use other cities in the state as breeding grounds for players does nothing but help the game.’’
Playing 85 miles away from home, Tampa Bay led 2-1 after the first period. Victor Hedman scored the Lightning’s first goal 4 minutes, 50 seconds into the game and assisted on Anthony Cirelli’s score with six seconds left before intermission.
Brayden Point, the game’s first star, was credited with two assists. He helped set up goals by Hedman and Gourde, whose shot increased the Lightning’s advantage to 3-1 with 16:20 to go in the second period. Frank Vatrano pulled the Panthers closer with a goal 2:09 into the final period before two goals from Mathieu Joseph and one by Alexander Volkov sealed the Lightning’s win.
“We took a step tonight,’’ said Lightning goalie Louis Domingue, who made 35 saves. “We felt a push from them early in the third. We kept pushing, and we scored some goals without cheating. That was a very positive sign for our team.’’
The Lightning (3-3), who reached the Eastern Conference Finals last season, will conclude their exhibition schedule with a third consecutive encounter with the Panthers (3-3) on Saturday night in Sunrise. (The teams will begin the regular season on Oct. 6 in Tampa.) In the end, though, any preseason result is like chalk on a chalkboard, there to be erased. The lasting impact will be reflected in building interest.
Chants of “Let’s go, Lightning’’ and “Let’s go, Bolts’’ were a good sign.
“We can hear it from the bench,’’ Joseph said.
Some of those heard were likely first-time witnesses of hockey at its highest level.
“NHL-level hockey is exciting to watch,’’ Gourde said. “Just the speed. They’re probably going to see it and say, ‘Wow, this game is really fast.’ Hopefully that’s what they think about this game.’’