Stanley Cup Playoffs: Tampa Bay Lightning on verge of historic collapse
The Tampa Bay Lightning entered the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs as the overwhelming Stanley Cup favorites. After a horrific first two games, they hope to avoid going down in history for all the wrong reasons.
History remembers two things. First of all, it remembers champions. The 2017-18 Washington Capitals will forever be known because they won the Stanley Cup. Secondly, it remembers chokers. Except history doesn’t remember those folks too kindly. After a historic regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning are on the verge of being remembered as a massive disappointment rather than as champions.
They find themselves down 2-0 in their best-of-seven series against the Columbus Blue Jackets. While no series is over until the fat lady sings, if you listen closely, you might be able to hear her warming up.
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The Blue Jackets blew a 2-0 lead in last year’s playoffs, but the Capitals didn’t look nearly as bad as the Lightning have looked in their first two games. Both of Columbus’ wins last year came in overtime. Tampa, meanwhile, has been outscored 9-1 in their last four periods of hockey.
After allowing the Blue Jackets to score four goals in the third period of Game 1, the Lightning allowed five in Game 2. That was a test Tampa failed miserably.
This is a team who lost two straight games just once all season. A team who didn’t experience much adversity is suddenly experiencing a ton of it.
Things won’t get easier for them either. The Lightning could be without Nikita Kucherov in Game 3 after a reckless, dangerous hit late on Game 2. He had a hearing with the Department of Player Safety and a suspension is expected. They could also be without reigning Norris Trophy winner Victor Hedman, who wasn’t at Saturday’s practice.
What’s odd is the Lightning are a team who have had recent postseason success. They’ve made three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals. You don’t do that by accident.
light. Related Story. 3 Takeaways From Game 2
Yet, in a playoff series between a team who has never made it out of the first round and the participants in three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals, the latter’s the one who looks out of sorts.
Should Tampa not come back, nobody’s going to care that they had the most prolific season in the salary cap era. The Presidents’ Trophy probably should mean more because being the best team over an 82 game span is a difficult task, but nobody makes their goal to win the Presidents’ Trophy. Winning the Stanley Cup is the goal for all contenders.
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The Lightning came into this postseason hoping to be remembered as champions. Unless they get things turned around quickly, they’ll be remembered as the biggest chokers in NHL history. Even the 2008-09 San Jose Sharks at least took the Anaheim Ducks to six games. Right now, it’s hard to see Tampa taking the series to five games, let alone six.