Tampa Bay Lightning: Why The Lightning Will Win In Game 7

The New York Rangers may think they have Game 7 in the bag, but the fact of the matter is they don’t know the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The Tampa Bay Lightning has the perfect opportunity tonight to seize their destiny, grip it tight in their hands, and guarantee their one-way ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals. The only thing standing in their way is goaltender Henrik Lundqvist and the New York Rangers.

If you ask any Rangers fan, or some of the analysts for the major media outlets, the New York Rangers may as well have already brought out their merchandise and purchased their tickets to the Stanley Cup Finals. Unfortunately for the Blue Shirts, the Tampa Bay Lightning and their fans have a little bit to say about this.

Over the course of the last couple of days, all we have heard about is the Rangers record in Game 7 scenarios and how Henrik Lundqvist cannot be beaten. Yes, we will concede that the New York Rangers are 7-0 in Game 7 scenarios at Madison Square Garden. This is an impressive feat, to be sure.

The only thing is, they don’t know the Tampa Bay Lightning very well.

The Tampa Bay Lightning is filled with a number of young, talented players who are truly getting their first real taste of what the post season is like. They have been aggressive, motivated, and most importantly determined to keep the momentum in their direction. This is a team that is willing to fight to the end for a chance at making history.

If you ask any member of the Tampa Bay Lightning, they will tell you the exact same thing. They are ready to play, and they are ready to win.

According to Tampa Bay Lightning Beat Writer Bryan Burns, Lightning center Brian Boyle is pretty clear that he has not bought into the Rangers Game 7 theory.

"“What am I doing here? I’m not going to fly up from Florida if I bought it.”"

At the same time, it is the words of Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos that truly get down to the heart of the matter and make us believe that our Boys in Blue are ready to get the job done tonight, even if it is in hostile territory.

"“We have a belief in this room that everything we’ve prepared for starting in training camp this year has led us to this moment.” ~ Steven Stamkos via Bryan Burns"

When it comes to the players, this is much more than a game. This moment right here, the opportunity to embrace their destiny and battle for the greatest trophy in all of sports, is something that they have been working towards all season long. This is not something they are taking lightly, nor is it something they are willing to walk away from without one hell of a fight.

“We have a belief in this room that everything we’ve prepared for starting in training camp this year has led us to this moment.” ~ Steven Stamkos

The best teams in National Hockey League history are not solely remembered for the things you can see in black and white like stats and analysis, but the fire in their souls and the passion in their hearts. It is because of this that we believe the Tampa Bay Lightning is destined for greatness.

The Lightning only has one thing left to do…defeat the New York Rangers.

In just a few more hours, the Tampa Bay Lightning will walk out of the tunnel and take the ice for the final time in the Eastern Conference Finals. Sixty minutes of heart-pounding hockey is the only thing between advancing to the next round or the bittersweet taste of defeat. We don’t know about you, but we can’t wait to bear witness.

When all is said and done, we are proud of our Tampa Bay Lightning and everything they have accomplished this season. They have fought well and left us on the edge of our seats every single night. However, at the end of the day, the fire in our hearts still believe that the Lightning will have their date with destiny when the Stanley Cup Finals kick off on June 3^rd.

There is only one question remaining…are you ready to BE THE THUNDER and show the New York Rangers that we are not ready to go home just yet?!? We sure are!

Next: Tampa Bay Lightning Determined to Advance In Game 7

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