Editing Tampa Bay Lightning (section)

====Post-championship successes and playoff disappointments (2004–2007)====
The Lightning had to wait a year to defend their title due to the [[2004–05 NHL lockout]], but in [[2005–06 NHL season|2005–06]], they barely made the playoffs with a record of 43–33–6 for 93 points in a conference where six teams notched 100 or more points. They lost to the Ottawa Senators in five games in the first round of the [[2006 Stanley Cup playoffs|2006 playoffs]].

[[File:Vincent Lecavalier 2007.jpg|thumb|During the [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07 season]], [[Vincent Lecavalier]] broke the then franchise record for most points, and goals in a single season.]]
During the off-season, the Lightning traded Fredrik Modin and [[Fredrik Norrena]] to the [[Columbus Blue Jackets]] in exchange for goaltender [[Marc Denis]] in an effort to replace the departing [[John Grahame]], who had signed with the Carolina Hurricanes. However, free agent [[Johan Holmqvist]] would eventually receive the majority of playing time and most of the club's wins. The first half of [[2006–07 NHL season|2006–07]] was inconsistent for the Lightning, maintaining an 18–19–2 record throughout the first few months. January and February were far better months for the team, going 9–4–0 in January and 9–2–2 in February, driving them back into the playoff race. Fourteen games in March were split even, and on March 16, 2007, Vincent Lecavalier broke the franchise record for most points in a season, with 95 (finishing with 108). The record was previously held by Martin St. Louis, who had set the record in the 2003–04 Stanley Cup-winning year. Lecavalier also broke the franchise's goal-scoring record, finishing with a league-leading 52 goals.

The Lightning were busy during the final weeks before the NHL's trade deadline, acquiring wingers [[Kyle Wanvig]], [[Stephen Baby]] and defenseman [[Shane O'Brien (ice hockey)|Shane O'Brien]]. Former first-round pick [[Nikita Alexeev]] was traded on deadline day to the Chicago Blackhawks. Other mid-season additions to the team included [[Filip Kuba]], [[Luke Richardson]] and [[Doug Janik]]. Veteran [[André Roy|Andre Roy]], who had won the Stanley Cup with the Lightning in 2004, was claimed off waivers from the [[Pittsburgh Penguins]].

Throughout March, the Lightning had been competing with the [[Atlanta Thrashers]] for first place in the Southeast Division. With a chance to overtake the Thrashers one final time and once again become division champions for the third time in team history, on April 6, 2007, in the final week of the regular season, the Lightning suffered a loss to the [[Florida Panthers]], the night before the season finale in Atlanta. That same night, the Thrashers defeated the [[Carolina Hurricanes]] and subsequently clinched the division. For the Lightning, this meant having to settle for the seventh seed in the Eastern Conference with a final record of 44–33–5 (93 points). However, the Lightning were eliminated from playoff competition on April 22, after a 3–2 home loss to the New Jersey Devils in game 6 of the conference quarterfinals.

[[File:Václav Prospal 2007.jpg|thumb|[[Václav Prospal|Vaclav Prospal]] with the Lightning in 2007. Prior to the 2007 NHL trade deadline, the Lightning traded Prospal to the [[Philadelphia Flyers]] in exchange for [[Alexandre R. Picard|Alexandre Picard]] and a conditional draft pick.]]
Following their playoff exit, on August 7, 2007, Absolute Hockey Enterprises, a group led by [[Doug MacLean]], announced it had signed a purchase agreement for the team and the [[leasehold]] on the St. Pete Times Forum. MacLean is the former president and general manager of the Columbus Blue Jackets and former head coach for both the Blue Jackets and the Florida Panthers. The group announced it planned to keep the team in Tampa, but the deal collapsed during the 2007–08 season.