Sports

NHL: Lightning Playing at Playoff Pace, But Are They Playoff Contenders?

Published

7 years ago

December 4, 2019

Nikita Kucherov (right) scored in overtime with the assist from Stamkos and the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Nashville Predators. Image: NBCSN.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (FNN SPORTS) – Adversity is probably the key word for the Tampa Bay Lightning team right now. They entered the 2019-2020 season with many eyes on them after the way the 2018-2019 season closed out. They’ve been a skillful line-up, but what is skill without the right structure?

Coach Cooper has been working tirelessly to find what will work for his skilled players to find consistency and win games. Starting off the season on a two-week road trip, the Bolts had a lot on their plate. Weirdly, they were pulling off wins against tough opponents and falling short versus teams they were predicted to beat, struggling to play 60 minutes of hockey.

The Bolts’ turning point came during their trip to Sweden, which gave them the chance to reset and bond as mentioned previously, and we saw a more competitive team return.

Sadly, as soon as the Lightning began to find a rhythm, many injuries started amongst key players. Two weeks ago, Kucherov was out for thankfully one game, but then Stamkos was gone for three, while Coburn is now out indefinitely, and Killorn is on a day-to-day basis, counting him out of last night’s match-up versus the Nashville Predators. The Lightning called Cory Conacher back up from Syracuse, who’s been the go-to guy to add to the line since October, but Verhaeghe ended up back in the line-up.

Last night Kucherov, Point and Palat hit the ice as the starting line and McDonagh with Cernak as the starting d-pairing. Both the Lightning and Predators carry a lot of talent on their teams, so the game opened up with fast skating and physicality.

Leave it to Victor Hedman to get the Bolts on the board first through. Hedman has been relentlessly taking more shots on goal since his first of the season on a power play. The Predators tied it up in the 2^nd period and if you thought you saw fast pace and hard skating in the 1^st period of this game, the 2^nd period was way more intense, with many near-fights until Luke Schenn had enough of Tyler, resulting in a real one.

Later in the chippy 2^nd period Brayden Point drew a penalty as he went for the puck and got elbowed in the face. After reviewing the play, the referees felt that it was intentional, dealing the Bolts a 5-minute power play that they unfortunately couldn’t score in because the Predators did a heck of a job holding the Lightning to center ice.

We saw the d-pairings playing way more up than usual; at this point there isn’t really a “stay at home” defenseman, or at least not last night. In the 3^rd period, Nashville tied up the game yet again and both teams really battled for the win into overtime. What better duo than Stamkos to Kucherov could you picture to secure the win for the Lightning? The Bolts left Nashville with two hard-earned points.

Last night’s game was played at a playoff pace and intensity with the Lightning sitting five below the ranking line in the East and Nashville sitting three below in the West. It’s officially that time of the year where every game counts and there are only so many games left before playoffs are here. Will the Bolts be playoff contenders? A short time will tell.

The Lightning head back home to host the Minnesota Wild tomorrow at 7pm.

_________________________________________________________

Kasey Hudson is Sports Associate Editor for Florida National News. | social@floridanationalnews.com

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Sports

LIV Golf to begin winding down operations Nov. 9 after five years, $5 billion spent

Published

14 hours ago

November 7, 2026

FNN SPORTS

LIV Golf sign in a landscaped setting in Orlando, Florida. Photo by Florida National News

NEW YORK CITY, NY (FNN SPORTS) – LIV Golf plans to begin winding down operations Monday, Nov. 9, following five years and more than $5 billion in spending.

Attorney Matthew Williams outlined the league’s plans during a bankruptcy court hearing Thursday, Nov. 5, in New Jersey. The process includes selling its remaining assets.

“We believe the wind down path is the best path,” Williams told the court.

LIV Golf confirmed the decision after a proposed restructuring deal fell through. The league said it will continue considering alternatives during the shutdown process.

Basketball

USF Women’s Basketball Opens Season With 80–54 Victory Over Furman

Published

2 days ago

November 5, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — On Monday November 2, at the Yuengling Center, the South Florida women’s basketball team opened with a successful debut undernew head coach Kristy Curry.

The Bulls established control early with a 9–0 opening run, taking a 27–12 lead after the first quarter. Furman narrowed the margin before halftime, but South Florida maintained a 46–32 advantage heading into the break.

A dominant third quarter proved decisive, as USF outscored Furman 23–9 to extend its lead to 69–41 entering the fourth.

Balanced Scoring Leads the Bulls

Stefanie Ingram led South Florida with 15 points, followed by Hannah Kohn with 13 and Kendall Puryear with 12 points and nine rebounds.

The Bulls placed six players in double figures, shot 51.6 percent from the field and controlled the boards with a 48–25 rebounding advantage.

A Winning Debut for Kristy Curry

The victory marked Curry’s first win leading South Florida after arriving from Alabama.

Ahead of the season opener, Curry expressed confidence in the program’s potential:

“I’m so excited to be here. I truly think the sky’s the limit at USF.”

— Kristy Curry, USF Head Coach, in pregame remarks published by USF Athletics.

South Florida (1–0) will face Belmont on Friday, November 6, in Nashville, Tennessee.

– Nisey Spruill is a reporter and photojournalist for Florida National News (FNN), covering major news, sports and special events across Florida and nationwide. Contact sports@FloridaNationalNews.com

Central Florida News

USF Defeats UAB 30–10, Secures Fourth Consecutive Bowl-Eligible Season

Published

4 days ago

November 3, 2026

NISEY LOU S.

C.J. Hicks (#1) USF defensive end lines up before the snap during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory over UAB at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Bulls overcome early deficit behind defensive touchdowns and a record-tying performance from C.J. Hicks.

TAMPA, Fla. (FNN SPORTS) — The University of South Florida (USF) secured its sixth victory of the season Saturday, October 31, defeating the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) 30–10 at Raymond James Stadium. The victory improved the Bulls’ record to 6–2 overall and 2–2 in American Conference play, making the program bowl-eligible for the fourth consecutive season.

Defense Turns the Game Around

UAB opened the game with a 10–0 first-quarter lead, but South Florida responded with 30 unanswered points, highlighted by two defensive touchdowns.

Defensive end C.J. Hicks delivered one of the game’s most significant performances, recording four sacks to tie the USF single-game record. Two of those sacks forced fumbles that resulted in touchdowns.

Late in the second quarter, Hicks forced a fumble by UAB quarterback Ryder Burton, allowing USF defender Asani Redwood to recover the football and return it six yards for a touchdown. The play gave South Florida a 17–10 halftime lead.

Asani Redwood and UAB #71 UAB defensive lineman #71 attempts to tackle USF’s Asani Redwood during the October 31, 2026, matchup at Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Hicks created another scoring opportunity in the fourth quarter, forcing a second fumble that linebacker Grayson Howard recovered and returned 13 yards for a touchdown, extending USF’s lead to 27–10.

South Florida’s defense finished with six sacks and 11 tackles for loss, limiting UAB to just 177 total offensive yards, including 17 rushing yards.

Offensive Adjustments Provide Momentum

Following an injury to starting quarterback Michael Van Buren Jr., sophomore Luke Kromenhoek entered the game and helped shift momentum in South Florida’s favor.

Luke Kromenhoek (#17) USF quarterback Luke Kromenhoek (#17) carries the football while facing pressure from a UAB defender during the Bulls’ 30–10 victory at Raymond James Stadium on October 31, 2026. Photo by Nisey Spruill / Florida National News

Kromenhoek finished with a career-high 92 rushing yards, including a 42-yard run that helped establish the Bulls’ offensive rhythm.

Running back Jason Collins Jr. added a six-yard rushing touchdown late in the second quarter to tie the game at 10–10.

Kicker Nico Gramatica contributed three field goals, connecting from 31, 30 and 33 yards to help secure the victory.

Bowl Eligibility Marks Another Program Milestone

With its sixth win, South Florida secured bowl eligibility for the fourth consecutive season, matching the second-longest such streak in program history.

The accomplishment allows USF to qualify for postseason bowl consideration, although an official bowl invitation and destination have yet to be determined.

The victory also kept the Bulls competitive in the American Conference standings, with four regular-season games remaining following the UAB matchup.

Looking Ahead

USF will return to conference competition Friday, November 6, traveling to face East Carolina as the Bulls continue their pursuit of a stronger conference finish and a postseason bowl invitation.

Final Score: USF 30, UAB 10