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Tampa Mayor Says Wednesday's Lightning Game Will Go On, Despite Elsa

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor at the podium
City of Tampa/Facebook
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor provides an update on the city's preparations for Tropical Storm Elsa on July 6, 2021.

The storm is expected to have cleared the Tampa Bay region by early Wednesday, well in advance of the scheduled 8 p.m. hockey game.

Tampa Mayor Jane Castor says she doesn't expect Elsa to disrupt Wednesday's Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Montreal Canadiens.

"If the storm — as predicted — continues on the same path, with the same amount of wind and nothing out of the ordinary happens, then we anticipate that we'll be able to have the the final game of the Lightning series tomorrow evening here in Tampa," Castor said at a 3 p.m. press conference on Tuesday as the tropical storm approached.

Game 5 is scheduled for 8 p.m. Wednesday at Amalie Arena.

The worst of the storm is expected in Tampa Bay overnight between Tuesday and Wednesday. Forecasts show that Elsa leaving the Tampa Bay region by Wednesday morning.

Castor added she is hopeful for a home team victory in the wake of the storm.

"It would be great if we won the Stanley Cup at home, which we will do tomorrow evening," the Tampa mayor said.

The Lightning leads the series 3-1. Game 6, if necessary, is back in Montreal on Friday night. Game 7 would be in Tampa on Sunday.

I cover health and K-12 education – two topics that have overlapped a lot since the pandemic began.
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