Tampa Bay Lightning are finally ready to etch their names in history

Five years after their last Stanley Cup Final appearance, the Tampa Bay Lightning look ready to lift Lord Stanley.

Back in 2015, the Tampa Bay Lightning fought admirably against the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final, but ultimately lost in six games. Despite this, many people, myself included, thought they’d be back shortly. It took them five years to get back, but five years after losing to the Blackhawks, the Lightning look ready to win the Stanley Cup.

It has been a long road back to the Stanley Cup Final for the Lightning. Only nine players on their current team remain from the 2015 squad. Eight if you exclude team captain Steven Stamkos, who hasn’t even played in this year’s postseason. Seven if you exclude Andrei Vasilevskiy, who only appeared in two games against the Blackhawks in 2015.

The Lightning nearly got back in 2016, but ultimately fell to the Pittsburgh Penguins in seven games in the Eastern Conference Final after grabbing a 3-2 lead in the series. 2017 saw them miss the postseason completely, in large part due to injuries to Steven Stamkos, which limited him to merely 17 games.

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2018 saw the Tampa Bay Lightning return to the Eastern Conference Final against the Washington Capitals. Though the Capitals grabbed an early 2-0 series lead, the Lightning responded by winning the next three games. Another 3-2 series lead, another golden chance to deliver another Stanley Cup to Tampa after doing so in 2004.

But much like the Penguins, the Capitals won the next two games, shutting out the Lightning in both Games 6 and 7. And just like the Penguins, the Capitals went on to win the Stanley Cup. Another frustrating, gut-wrenching loss.

In 2019, the Tampa Bay Lightning looked unstoppable during the regular season. They completed the regular season with the best record in the NHL. Furthermore, their .780% point percentage was the second-best in the salary cap era and the best during a full season. The Lightning had the league’s leading scorer (Nikita Kucherov), Norris Trophy winner (Victor Hedman), and Vezina Trophy winner (Andrei Vasilevskiy).

None of that mattered in the postseason. The Lightning started off great, grabbing an early 3-0 lead against the Columbus Blue Jackets in Game 1. However, the Blue Jackets came storming back, scoring the next four goals to stun the Bolts in Game 1. They never recovered, as the Blue Jackets swept the Lightning. Tampa became the first President’s Trophy winner to get swept in the first round.

To make matters worse, they lost general manager Steve Yzerman to the Detroit Red Wings. Julien BriseBois had to make some tough decisions, but ultimately, it looks like he made the correct ones. J.T. Miller’s cap hit was too rich for the Lightning, but he was able to get a first-round pick from the Vancouver Canucks for him despite not having much leverage.

It’s a good thing BriseBois got that first-round pick because he needed two first-round picks to put together the Tampa Bay Lightning’s current death squad lineup. He traded two first-round picks for Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. Tampa lacked grit in 2019 and BriseBois fixed that by trading for both players and by signing Pat Maroon during the offseason.

From the start of the 2015-16 season to now, all the Lightning had known was heart ache. It’s one thing to just be awful. At least then you expect to lose. But to be so close to winning a Stanley Cup only to fall short repeatedly? That hurts a lot.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have learned a lot of lessons since losing to the Blackhawks. They’ve had to overcome quite a bit of adversity. Their march to the Stanley Cup this season has almost been scripted. They had to face off against the Blue Jackets in the first round and this time, the Lightning showed them who’s boss.

Next, the Tampa Bay Lightning had to face an experienced Boston Bruins team. The Lightning quickly disposed of them in five games. Next, the Bolts had to face the New York Islanders without Brayden Point for several games. Yet the Lightning dug deep and managed to come out on top in six games. They had to do all of this without Stamkos.

Everything the Lightning have done the past five years has been about returning to the Stanley Cup Final and bringing the cup to Tampa. It hasn’t been a straight path for the Bolts. The path has featured twists, turns, and massive obstacles. All of that pain the Tampa Bay Lightning have suffered since 2015 has helped them get back to the Stanley Cup Final.

Now, the Dallas Stars aren’t pushovers. They’re going to be the Lightning’s toughest opponent yet. The Stars have proven they can play uptempo, as they beat the Colorado Avalanche at their own game in the second round. More importantly, the Stars can be a frustrating team to play against because their defense is so good. And good luck finding a reason to not like Anton Khudobin. Seriously, the guy’s so lovable.

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However, the Tampa Bay Lightning have already overcome so many obstacles. What’s another one? And there’s a slight chance the Lightning might finally get their captain Stamkos back. It’s taken the Lightning far longer to get back to the Stanley Cup Final than they thought back in 2015. But if they can beat the Stars four times, every ounce of agony, misery, and woe they’ve suffered the last five years will have been well worth it.

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