Eastern Conference Title

St-Pete's Gazette

Wishing for 8th spot in the playoff at the beginning of the year, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a chance to finish on top of the Eastern Conference with a win vs Washington on Tuesday.

Here what GM St-Pierre had to say after the win over the Pens last night regarding the race of the eastern conference and the overall of the SIM league.

" If you would have asked me at the beginning of the season that I would be fighting for first in the Eastern Conference, I would have laugh at it.  Being a rookie at the SIM league this year, it's been so many desicions, so much work and time analysing everything, never I would have thought this possible.  I realised how much work it was when I saw how many times I have uploaded my lines during the year....113 times...yes...113 times to make sure I had the perfect line-up to play each games every night."

Tampa Bay made tremendeous amount of trades to tweek the team during the year.  Many big names came along...Stamkos, Chara, Marleau and Thorton, but left before the deadline.  But all moves was calculated and revised many times before making the trades.  The new young team is set and ready to compete for many years to come.

" Not making the playoff last year was hard to the fans, the players, and the managment as well. "Rebuilding" was a word people had a hard time to digest.  It was a rollercoaster of trades, and hard to follow what GM St-Pierre was doing next...but now I know his goal was to fight every night all year long". Assistant Gilbeault told TSN this morning.

GM St-Pierre shook the media with a statement for the State of Florida ....." The fans are the energy of our team, our players are the gladiators on the ice, and our Cheerleaders are....well...you know!!!   If we make it to the Stanley Cup Final, it will be free admission for all home games at The St-Petes Forum....and that my gift to all our fans!!!!"

One more game, and one more win.......to clinch the Eastern Title

John Lu  -  TSN