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Best and worst

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 5, 2001

BEST MOMENT: Alex Selivanov's overtime goal in Game 3 of the 1996 first-round series against the Flyers that gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 series lead. You can still hear announcer Larry Hirsch yelling, Selivanov! Selivanov! And I'm taking my wife to Vegas!" It was the last great moment this organization has had.

BEST REGULAR SEASON GAME: The opening game of the 1996-97 season. Tampa Bay was coming off its one postseason appearance and the Ice Palace was due to open in a few days. Things never looked brighter for the organization. The opener in Pittsburgh saw Mario Lemieux tie the game 4-4 on his goal with two seconds left in the third period. But Shawn Burr's goal in OT gave the Lightning a victory and propelled the Bolts to a 5-1 start. But, true to the Lightning's Murphy Law ways, this silver lining had a dark cloud. Puppa injured his back for the first time and wouldn't play again until Valentine's Day. The organization never really has recovered.

WORST REGULAR SEASON GAMES: There are about 200 worth consideration. We'll take amazing 10-0 shutout losses to Calgary and Pittsburgh. What was amazing about them? That they came in the season when the Lightning made the playoffs. Except for the 1995-96 Lightning, no team ever has lost two 10-0 games in the same season and made the playoffs.

WORST MOMENT: The busted fax machine. When the Lightning lost Chris Gratton to the Flyers in 1997, it started a slide the organization has yet to reverse.

MOST GRUESOME INJURY: Aaron Gavey taking more than 100 stitches in his face on Feb. 4, 1996 when he was kicked accidently by teammate Michel Petit. Runner-up: Shawn Burr getting the tip of his left ring finger lopped off in a game against Boston in 1997.

BEST NEWS CONFERENCE: A tie between Art Williams Are you a stud or a dud" speech when he bought the team and the fire-and-brimstone introduction of coach Jacques Demers, who highlighted the announcement of his hiring by yelling, No more excuses. It's time to shut up and play hockey."

WORST ONE-GAME PERFORMANCE: Goalie David Littman was called up to the Lightning for one game during the inaugural season and was bombed by the Devils, who scored seven goals in 45 minutes. Mr. Littman never has been heard from again.

BEST ONE-GAME PERFORMANCE: Again, you have to go back to the first season when Doug Crossman had three assists and three goals, including the game-winner in the Lightning's first-ever overtime victory at Long Island. Runner-up: Chris Kontos' four-goal performance in the Lightning's inaugural game.

BEST SEASON BY A PLAYER: No player in Lightning history has matched Brian Bradley's 42-goals, 86-point output in the debut season.

BEST TRADE: Hey we like Cory Cross (we even named him to our all-time Bolts team), but we love Fredrik Modin, who could turn into a bonafide superstar in the NHL. Runner-up: Trading future considerations to Detroit for Dino Ciccarelli.

WORST TRADE: Roman Hamrlik to Edmonton for Steve Kelly, Jason Bonsignore and Bryan Marchment. Yeah, yeah, yeah, the Lightning turned Marchment into a trade that swapped draft picks with San Jose and that allowed them to get Vincent Lecavalier out of the deal. But that was sheer blind luck. The original deal didn't make sense then. Or now.

BEST FREE AGENT SIGNING: Wendel Clark, who picked up 30 goals in only 65 games and gave the Lightning its lone all-star representative when the Ice Palace hosted the annual classic.

WORST FREE AGENT SIGNING:

BEST FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK: Vincent Lecavalier (we think).

WORST FIRST-ROUND DRAFT PICK: Mario Larocque (we know).

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