TAMPA, Fla. — There will be a familiar face in the Tampa Bay region as the Tampa Bay Lightning enters the first round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Remember John Tortorella?
He's kind of a big deal: The Lightning, having struggled for many years since its inception, came out as champions during the 2002-03 season while winning the Southeast Division title for the first time with Tortorella as head coach.
The next year, the team took the title again and a bit of metal with its first-ever Stanley Cup victory. Tortorella would go on to coach the most games in Lightning history with 535 games.
Fast-forward to 2019 and the No. 1-seeded Lightning plays the No. 8 Columbus Blue Jackets this week.
The Blue Jackets' coach? Torts.
He joined the team during the 2015-16 season, replacing its fired head coach after a bumpy start. After the inaugural season, however, Tortorella notched his 500th career win and at the time, led the Blue Jackets' to a second-longest win streak.
The Lightning faces off against Columbus at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Amalie Arena.
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