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Frank Pastor - Assistant Editor, Sports

Assistant Editor, Sports

I was spoiled by sports from a young age, growing up in Pittsburgh at a time when the Steelers were winning four Super Bowls in six years and the World Series champion Pirates were a "Family." Heck, even Pitt won a national championship. I'm also a voracious reader. There was a time I subscribed to four different sports magazines (my brother got a fifth) and a daily newspaper and read them all cover to cover. My love of sports and journalism intersected at Notre Dame, where the Irish won the national championship during my sophomore year and my major was, essentially, covering sports for the student paper. Drawn by its reputation as a writer's paper, I've spent the past 20 years at the Tampa Bay Times, working as a reporter, editor and digital editor — and reading some of my favorite writers. I arrived in time for the "Hit Show" and was fortunate to experience the Bucs' two Super Bowl victories, the Lightning's three Stanley Cups and the Rays' magical 2008, '11 and '20 seasons. Almost as fun as watching the games themselves? Reading and writing about them.

  1. The Lightning and Avalanche shake hands after Colorado's 2-1 win in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final Sunday at Amalie Arena.
  2. The Colorado Avalanche celebrate their 2-1 win over the Lightning to win the Stanley Cup Sunday at Amalie Arena.
  3. Lightning right wing Corey Perry (10) and center Steven Stamkos (91) celebrate a second-period goal by right wing Nikita Kucherov (86).
  4. Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91), top right, and Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18) celebrate Ondrej Palat’s third period game winning goal in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup final Friday, June 24, 2022 in Denver. TheTampa Bay Lightning won 3-2.
  5. Lightning left wing Pat Maroon (14) looks up at the scoreboard during the third period of Game 4 Wednesday at Amalie Arena.
  6. Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88), center, along with defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27), right, and defenseman Mikhail Sergachev (98) react after the game winning overtime goal by Colorado Avalanche center Nazem Kadri (91) in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday, June 22, 2022 in Tampa. Kadri’s shot got stuck in the goal for a Colorado Avalanche 3-2 win.
  7. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) makes a stop on the puck as Colorado Avalanche left wing Gabriel Landeskog (92), left, and Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) join the play during the second period of Game 3 Monday at Amalie Arena.
  8. Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Pat Maroon (14), right, holds Colorado Avalanche center Nico Sturm (78) as they tangle during the third period in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup final Monday, June 20, 2022 in Tampa.
  9. Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh (27) and Colorado Avalanche center Alex Newhook (18) compete for a loose puck during the first period of Game 2 Saturday in Denver.
  10. Tampa Bay Lightning players look at the scoreboard during the third period against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup final Saturday, June 18, 2022 in Denver. The Lightning lost 7-0.
  11. The Avalanche celebrate the overtime winner by left wing Andre Burakovsky (95) in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup final Wednesday night.
  12. Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18) drives past Colorado Avalanche center Tyson Jost (17) and shoots during a game in February in Denver. Colorado won 3-2.
  13. Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) skates to the bench after being hit in the second period Saturday at Amalie Arena.
  14. The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate their victory at the conclusion of the game between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the New York Rangers for Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final on Saturday, June 11, 2022, at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
  15. Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy (88), right, looks back as New York Rangers center Filip Chytil (72) watches the puck fly past the crease during the first period of Game 5 Thursday at Madison Square Garden.
  16. Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18), left, and Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91), celebrate Palat's go ahead goal against the New York Rangers in Game 5 of the Eastern Conference final Thursday, June 9, 2022 in New York. The Lightning defeated the Rangers 3-1.
  17. Left wing Ondrej Palat had a goal and two assists in the Lightning's 4-1 victory over the Rangers Tuesday at Amalie Arena.
  18. Tampa Bay Lightning players congratulate each other after defeating the New York Rangers 4-1 Tuesday, June 7, 2022 in Tampa. The win levels the series at two games a piece.
  19. Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91), center, is congratulated by teammates Victor Hedman (77), right, and Nikita Kucherov (86) after Stamkos scored a power-play goal in the third period of Sunday's game at Amalie Arena.
  20. Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ondrej Palat (18) reacts after scoring the game winning goal against the New York Rangers in the third period of the Eastern Conference Final on Sunday, June 5, 2022 in Tampa.
  21. Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) is crowded by New York Rangers defensemen Jacob Trouba (8), top, and K'Andre Miller (79) during the second period of Game 2 Friday in New York.
  22. Tampa Bay Lightning players skate off the ice after losing 3-2 to the New York Rangers in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference final Friday, June 3, 2022 in New York.
  23. Lightning left wing Steven Stamkos (91) gets tangled with Rangers defenseman Adam Fox (23)  in the third period of Game 1 Wednesday in New York.
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