Tampa Bay Lightning: 2004 Stanley Cup Champions Book

As recently as four years ago they were considered one of the worst franchises in professional sports, the laughingstock of the NHL. In fact, before this season they had only come out victorious in one playoff series in team history. Now for the first time, the Tampa Bay Lightning are the improbable champions of hockey. A stirring 2-1 win over the Calgary Flames in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals helped the Lightning become just the second team in 33 years to overcome a 3-2 series deficit in the Finals. It also meant they would be the first team from Florida to drink from Lord Stanley's Cup.Tampa Bay Lightning: 2004 Stanley Cup Champions helps fans relive the glory of a truly unforgettable season. The award-winning St. Petersburg Times sports department provides stories from the season's biggest games in this book packed with full-color action photos from the Times. Also included are profiles of superstar Lightning players like Brad Richards, the Conn Smythe Award-winner who scored a record seven game-winning goals among his 12 playoff goals; and Ruslan Fedotenko, who scored both of the team's goals in the decisive Game 7; along with goaltender Nikolai Khabibulin, right-winger Martin St. Louis, center Vincent Lacavalier, and team captain Dave Andreychuk, the left-winger who waited 22 years before winning his first Stanley Cup. Tampa Bay Lightning: 2004 Stanley Cup Champions is published in the tradition of similar "instant" books celebrating the achievements of championship teams and individuals. Other instant books from Sports Publishing include Top Dogs: UConn Huskies' 2003-04 Men's Championship Season with the Hartford Courant and New England Patriots: 2004 Super Bowl Champions with the Boston Herald.

Author Bio:The St. Petersburg Times was established in 1884 and has a daily circulation of more than 310,000 copies.