Drop The Puck: Lightning Releases 2012-2013 Schedule

After 119 days of waiting..the schedule for the 2012-2013 NHL season is here.

This season, each team will play a 48-game schedule with all games against conference opponents. The 2013 season opens Jan. 19 with 26 of the 30 NHL teams slated to play.

The regular season will end on April 27, with the Stanley Cup playoffs beginning April 30.

The 2012- 2013 NHL season will last 99 days and there will be a game each night.

NBC Sports will televise 70 regular season games between NBC and NBC Sports Network. NBC will air 14 games, which is the most regular season games the network has ever televised. Each Wednesday night this season, NBC Sports Network will have a "rivalry night" game televised.

The Lightning will open the season on Jan. 19 against the Capitals. Tampa Bay has the luxury of opening six of its first set of eight games at the Forum. The home-stand will be Tampa Bay's longest of the season.

The longest road trip of the season for Tampa Bay will be four games, which the Lightning will do three times this season.

The 2012-2013 season will be a frenzied one focused on Divisional contests. All teams will play 18 games against teams within their own division: four games (two home/two away) against two teams in the division; then five games (three home and two away) against a select team from the division and five games (two home and three away) against the remaining team in the division.

The Lightning will play the Carolina Hurricanes and the Florida Panthers five times each. Tampa Bay will play the remainder of the division, the Capitals and the Jets, four times each with two games at home and two on the road.

Below is the 2013 schedule for the Tampa Bay Lightning.

ALL TIMES ARE EASTERN STANDARD TIME.

*Denotes a divisional matchup.

Jan. 19 Washington* 7:00
Jan. 21 at NY Islanders 1:00
Jan. 22 at Carolina* 7:00
Jan. 25 Ottawa 7:30
Jan. 27 Philadelphia 6:00
Jan. 29 Florida* 7:30
Feb. 1 Winnipeg* 7:30
Feb. 2 NY Rangers 7:00
Feb. 5 at Philadelphia 7:30
Feb. 7 at New Jersey 7:00
Feb. 9 at Boston 1:00
Feb. 10 at NY Rangers 7:30
Feb. 12 Montreal 7:30
Feb. 14 Washington* 7:30
Feb. 16 at Florida* 7:30
Feb. 19 Toronto 7:30
Feb. 21 Boston 7:30
Feb. 23 at Carolina* 7:00
Feb. 24 at Pittsburgh 7:30
Feb. 26 Buffalo 7:30
Feb. 28 at NY Rangers 7:00

Mar. 2 at Boston 1:00
Mar. 4 at Pittsburgh 7:30
Mar. 5 at New Jersey 7:00
Mar. 7 Winnipeg* 7:30
Mar. 9 Montreal 7:00
Mar. 12 at Florida* 7:30
Mar. 14 NY Islanders 7:30
Mar. 16 Carolina* 7:00
Mar. 18 Philadelphia 7:30
Mar. 20 at Toronto 7:00
Mar. 23 at Ottawa 2:00
Mar. 24 at Winnipeg* 8:00
Mar. 26 Buffalo 7:30
Mar. 29 New Jersey 7:30
Apr. 2 Florida* 7:30
Apr. 4 at Carolina* 7:00
Apr. 6 at NY Islanders 7:00
Apr. 7 at Washington* 7:00
Apr. 9 Ottawa 7:30
Apr. 11 Pittsburgh 7:30
Apr. 13 at Washington* 7:00
Apr. 14 at Buffalo 5:00
Apr. 16 at Winnipeg* 8:00
Apr. 18 at Montreal 7:30
Apr. 21 Carolina* 6:00
Apr. 24 Toronto 7:00

Apr. 27. Florida* 7:00