The 2009–10 Tampa Bay Lightning season was the 18th season for the National Hockey League (NHL) team. Unlike the previous off-season, the Lightning did not make many roster changes. Second-year winger Steve Stamkos emerged from obscurity in which would turn out to be a breakout season that saw him score 10 goals in his first 11 games. Through the months of January and February, Stamkos had an 18-game point streak and he was ranked in the top five in the NHL in scoring by the time he turned 20, challenging the likes of established NHL superstars such as Alexander Ovechkin and Sidney Crosby. On April 10, 2010, Stamkos reached the 50-goal mark for the first time in his career when he scored two goals against the Florida Panthers. He ended the season with 51 goals, tied for most in the NHL with Sidney Crosby of the Pittsburgh Penguins, with the two sharing the Rocket Richard Trophy as the NHL's goal-scoring leaders. He tied Crosby in the final minute of the last game of the season with an empty-net goal while also becoming the third-youngest player in NHL history to score 50 goals in a season, after Wayne Gretzky and Jimmy Carson.[1] Despite Stamkos's individual successes, the team's poor seasonal record prompted team owner Jeffrey Vinik to terminate Brian Lawton and Rick Tocchet's contracts as general manager and head coach, respectively.
The Lightning improved on their regular season record but failed to qualify for the Stanley Cup playoffs for the third season in a row. The team was sold during the season to Boston-based investor Jeff Vinik. After the season, Vinik fired the Lightning's management team.
Off-season
On May 11, the Lightning gave Rick Tocchet a multi-year contract to make him their full-time head coach, removing the interim tag he held after taking over the position from Barry Melrose, who was fired during the previous season after 16 games.[2]
On June 23, NHL CommissionerGary Bettman met with Lightning co-owners Oren Koules and Len Barrie due to philosophical and financial differences over how to build the team. More details were not available to the public because Bettman imposed a "gag-order" over the meetings.[3][4] By February, the team was sold and both Koules and Barrie were no longer involved. It was also in this time period that Bettman reportedly vetoed a trade between the Lightning and the Montreal Canadiens that would have sent center Vincent Lecavalier to the Canadiens in exchange for goaltender Carey Price, center Tomas Plekanec and an unnamed prospect.[5]
The Lightning ended the regular season having scored the fewest shorthanded goals in the League, with just 2.[17]
After the regular season finished with Tampa Bay missing the playoffs, the Lightning fired both General Manager Brian Lawton and Head Coach Rick Tocchet on April 12, 2010.[18]
bold – Qualified for playoffs; y – Won division; p – Won Presidents' Trophy (and division)
AT – Atlantic Division, NE – Northeast Division, SE – Southeast Division
Game log
2009–10 Game Log
October: 4–3–4 (Home: 4–0–3; Road 0–3–1)
Game
Date
Opponent
Score
Location
Attendance
Record
Points
1
October 3
Atlanta Thrashers
6 – 3
Philips Arena
18,545
0–1–0
0
2
October 6
Carolina Hurricanes
2 – 1 (SO)
RBC Center
16,186
0–1–1
1
3
October 8
New Jersey Devils
4 – 3 (SO)
St. Pete Times Forum
17,454
0–1–2
2
4
October 10
Carolina Hurricanes
5 – 2
St. Pete Times Forum
14,212
1–1–2
4
5
October 12
Florida Panthers
3 – 2
St. Pete Times Forum
14,126
2–1–2
6
6
October 15
Ottawa Senators
7 – 1
Scotiabank Place
17,732
2–2–2
6
7
October 17
Pittsburgh Penguins
4 – 1
Mellon Arena
17,132
2–3–2
6
8
October 22
San Jose Sharks
5 – 2
St. Pete Times Forum
13,343
3–3–2
8
9
October 24
Buffalo Sabres
3 – 2 (SO)
St. Pete Times Forum
15,804
3–3–3
9
10
October 29
Ottawa Senators
5 – 2
St. Pete Times Forum
13,213
4–3–3
11
11
October 31
New Jersey Devils
2 – 1 (SO)
St. Pete Times Forum
12,154
4–3–4
12
November: 6–4–4 (Home: 2–2–1; Road 4–2–3)
Game
Date
Opponent
Score
Location
Attendance
Record
Points
12
November 2
Philadelphia Flyers
6 – 2
Wachovia Center
18,667
4–4–4
12
13
November 3
Toronto Maple Leafs
2 – 1 (OT)
Air Canada Centre
19,301
5–4–4
14
14
November 5
Ottawa Senators
3 – 2 (OT)
Scotiabank Place
17,511
5–4–5
15
15
November 7
Montreal Canadiens
3 – 1
Bell Centre
21,273
6–4–5
17
16
November 12
Minnesota Wild
4 – 3 (SO)
St. Pete Times Forum
14,530
7–4–5
19
17
November 14
Los Angeles Kings
2 – 1 (SO)
St. Pete Times Forum
16,612
7–4–6
20
18
November 16
Phoenix Coyotes
4 – 1
Jobing.com Arena
9,503
8–4–6
22
19
November 19
Anaheim Ducks
4 – 3 (OT)
Honda Center
14,555
8–4–7
23
20
November 21
Carolina Hurricanes
3 – 1
RBC Center
13,224
8–5–7
23
21
November 22
Atlanta Thrashers
4 – 3 (OT)
Philips Arena
13,342
9–5–7
25
22
November 25
Toronto Maple Leafs
4 – 3
St. Pete Times Forum
15,333
9–6–7
25
23
November 27
New York Rangers
5 – 1
St. Pete Times Forum
17,608
10–6–7
27
24
November 28
Dallas Stars
4 – 3 (OT)
American Airlines Center
17,334
10–6–8
28
25
November 30
Colorado Avalanche
3 – 0
St. Pete Times Forum
12,214
10–7–8
28
December: 5–8–2 (Home: 3–3–1; Road 2–5–1)
Game
Date
Opponent
Score
Location
Attendance
Record
Points
26
December 2
Boston Bruins
4 – 1
TD Garden
16,533
10–8–8
28
27
December 4
New Jersey Devils
3 – 2
Prudential Center
15,336
10–9–8
28
28
December 5
New York Islanders
4 – 0
St. Pete Times Forum
13,577
11–9–8
30
29
December 7
Washington Capitals
3 – 0
St. Pete Times Forum
12,400
11–10–8
30
30
December 9
Edmonton Oilers
3 – 2
St. Pete Times Forum
13,477
11–11–8
30
31
December 11
Colorado Avalanche
2 – 1 (SO)
Pepsi Center
12,188
11–11–9
31
32
December 13
Chicago Blackhawks
4 – 0
United Center
21,081
11–12–9
31
33
December 15
Nashville Predators
7 – 4
Sommet Center
15,804
11–13–9
31
34
December 17
Detroit Red Wings
3 – 0
Joe Louis Arena
19,474
11–14–9
31
35
December 18
St. Louis Blues
6 – 3
Scottrade Center
19,150
12–14–9
33
36
December 21
New York Islanders
4 – 2
Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
10,864
13–14–9
35
37
December 23
Philadelphia Flyers
5 – 2
St. Pete Times Forum
16,177
13–15–9
35
38
December 26
Atlanta Thrashers
4 – 3
St. Pete Times Forum
15,437
14–15–9
37
39
December 28
Boston Bruins
2 – 1
St. Pete Times Forum
16,926
15–15–9
39
40
December 30
Montreal Canadiens
2 – 1 (OT)
St. Pete Times Forum
18,441
15–15–10
40
January: 7–6–1 (Home: 5–1–1; Road 2–5–0)
Game
Date
Opponent
Score
Location
Attendance
Record
Points
41
January 2
Pittsburgh Penguins
3 – 1
St. Pete Times Forum
20,109
16–15–10
42
42
January 6
Buffalo Sabres
5 – 3
HSBC Arena
18,690
16–16–10
42
44
January 8*
New Jersey Devils
4 – 2
Prudential Center
15,129
17–16–10
44
43
January 9
Philadelphia Flyers
4 – 1
Wachovia Center
19,678
16–17–10
44
45
January 12
Washington Capitals
7 – 4
St. Pete Times Forum
13,891
18–17–10
46
46
January 14
Florida Panthers
3 – 2
St. Pete Times Forum
13,516
18–18–10
46
47
January 16
Florida Panthers
5 – 2
BankAtlantic Center
15,971
18–19–10
46
48
January 18
Carolina Hurricanes
3 – 2
RBC Center
16,031
19–19–10
48
49
January 19
New York Rangers
8 – 2
Madison Square Garden
18,200
19–20–10
48
50
January 21
Toronto Maple Leafs
3 – 2 (OT)
St. Pete Times Forum
13,691
20–20–10
50
51
January 23
Atlanta Thrashers
2 – 1 (SO)
St. Pete Times Forum
16,212
21–20–10
52
52
January 27
Montreal Canadiens
3 – 0
St. Pete Times Forum
14,404
22–20–10
54
53
January 29
Anaheim Ducks
2 – 1 (SO)
St. Pete Times Forum
15,230
22–20–11
55
54
January 31
Washington Capitals
3 – 2
Verizon Center
18,277
22–21–11
55
*Originally scheduled for January 8, but suspended during the 2nd period due to a lighting failure. Play resumed on January 10 from the moment it was stopped.[21]
Note: GP = Games played; TOI = Time on ice (minutes); W = Wins; L = Losses; OT = Overtime losses; GA = Goals against; GAA= Goals against average; SA= Shots against; SV= Saves; Sv% = Save percentage; SO= Shutouts
†Denotes player spent time with another team before joining Lightning. Stats reflect time with Lightning only.
‡Traded mid-season
Bold/italics denotes franchise record