When the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2004, the first step on their journey was a first-round series against the New York Islanders. Though that series ended quickly, it was quite competitive, and the first indication that Isles netminder Rick DiPietro had what it took to emerge as a top-flight NHL starter. The Isles and Lightning will face off on Saturday night in Tampa, and best of all, the game will be televised nationally in brilliant 1080i on HDNet. Here's a breakdown of this exciting match-up...

Islanders to Watch

The Islanders have been one of the NHL's most pleasant surprises this season. Despite losing Ryan Smyth, Jason Blake, Tom Poti, and numerous other key players via free agency, the Isles have managed to remain quite competitive, largely due to the efforts of bench boss--and former Jack Adams Trophy winner--Ted Nolan. Nolan has affected a dramatic cultural shift on Long Island, cementing his deserved reputation as a "player's coach," and the results are unquestionable: the Isles are one of the NHL's hardest-working teams.

During the summer of 2006, seismic changes swept the Island, with first Neil Smith--and then Garth Snow--taking over as the team's GM. But perhaps the biggest news of all was the 15-year, $67.5 million contract given to starting netminder Rick DiPietro. At the time, the contract was the target of derision from coast to coast, with most hockey pundits failing to see what a great value DiPietro would be.

But in the wake of the ludicrous offers tendered to forwards Thomas Vanek and Dustin Penner over the summer, it's become apparent that DiPietro is turning out to be one of the league's great bargains. A bona fide top-10 NHL goalie, DiPietro's annual cap cost ($4.5 million) is thoroughly reasonable in the context of the league's $50 million-plus salary cap. And as inflation inevitably affects both the value of that contract and NHL revenues as a whole, DiPietro will only become more and more of a bargain as the years roll by.

This past summer, Snow was forced to play catch-up following the departures of Smyth, Blake, et. all. And he did a fine job indeed, especially given the challenging circumstances. He brought a very solid first line aboard, including new team captain Bill Guerin, playmaking center Mike Comrie, and hardworking winger Ruslan Fedotenko. And he added hard-hitting rearguard Andy Sutton to the team's blue line corps, providing DiPietro with some much-needed security in the defensive zone.

The Islanders might not be the league's flashiest team, but their consistent effort level--and DiPietro's dynamic puckhandling ability--make them tremendous fun to watch.

Lightning to Watch

When the Lightning won the Cup in 2004, center Brad Richards was the playoff hero, earning Conn Smythe Trophy honors for his stellar play in crunch time. Unfortunately, the speedy, talented Richards hasn't yet figured out how to produce consistently over the course of the season's long haul, and it's why he hasn't yet managed to emerge as a top-tier NHL'er. His minus-eight rating is second-worst on the team (behind blueliner Brad Lukowich's minus-12), but he has scored at a near point-per-game pace, and he is one of Tampa's most exciting players to watch.

Life in Tampa clearly agrees with Vaclav Prospal, whose production is never better than when he suits up for the Lightning. Prospal tallied a then career-high 79 points for the Lightning back in 2002-03, after which he signed a free agent contract with the Western Conference Finalist Anaheim Ducks. Unfortunately for him, he missed the Lightning's Cup run in 2004, but returned to Tampa for the 2005-06 season, when he tallied a new career-high 80 points in 82 games. This season, Prospal has scored 27 points in 28 games, including 13 goals, and is a very nice fit on the team's top line alongside Vincent Lecavalier and former Hart Trophy winner Martin St. Louis.

On the blue line, Filip Kuba has been an absolute rock for the Lightning. Last season, he joined the Lightning after playing five years for Jacques Lemaire's defense-first Wild. Though Kuba's offensive numbers skyrocketed (he tallied a career-high 15 goals), his play in the defensive zone slipped dramatically, and he posted a career-worst minus-nine rating. This season, Kuba has cleaned up his defensive play while remaining a key offensive contributor, posting a plus-15 rating that's second best in the entire NHL (behind only the Ottawa Senators' Dany Heatley.

Under head coach John Tortorella, the Lightning play an exciting, up-tempo style, employing the same "fear is death" mentality that served them so well in 2004.

About the NHL on HDNet

HDNet's NHL game broadcasts are shot exclusively for presentation in the highest-quality 1080i high-definition format, giving viewers all the benefits of a 16:9 aspect ratio and high-resolution picture. A complete schedule of programming, including encore presentations and additional games, as scheduled, is available at HD.net or at NHL.com. The schedule is subject to change, and local blackout restrictions apply.