Tampa Bay Lightning Report: Bolts Playoff Hopes May Be Out Of Their Hands
With only four games left in the season, the Tampa Bay Lightning’s playoff hopes may rest more on the Toronto Maple Leafs, Ottawa Senators, and the Boston Bruins than themselves.
The Tampa Bay Lightning has four games left in their regular season. If things don’t go their way, it’ll be their last four games until next season. Right now, the Lightning is four points behind the second Wild Card spot and third place in the Atlantic Division.
The Toronto Maple Leafs come in at 93 points, just one point ahead of the Ottawa Senators and Boston Bruins, both with 92 points. This means the Lightning is currently a minimum of four points out from a playoff spot.
While a four-game win streak isn’t impossible, it isn’t probable either. During their next four games, the Bolts will square up with the Boston Bruins, Toronto Maple Leafs, Montreal Canadiens, and the Buffalo Sabres.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Bruins and the Maple Leafs are in active competition with the Lightning for the few remaining playoff spots that haven’t been taken up yet. While the Maple Leafs are a point higher than the Senators and Bruins, nothing is set in stone yet.
Both the Maple Leafs and the Bruins need to win their games against the Lightning as badly as the Lightning do. That being said, whether or not the Lightning makes the playoffs may be more out of their hands than in it.
The hockey the Lightning are playing right now is the best we’ve seen them play all season long. It seems as if they’ve finally gotten comfortable in their game and have found what works for them. How they are playing now is as good as they can, and will play for the remainder of the season. For better or for worse, the Bolts now are the Bolts we will get for the next four games.
Both the Maple Leafs and Bruins are arguably more polished teams than the Lightning this season. The Lighting has only won one game against these teams so far this season out of the three and four they have played respectively.
At this point, how these games fall may depend more on the play of the play of the Lightning’s opponents than the Lightning themselves. Unfortunately, this is the price they must pay for their inconsistent play in the earlier part of the season.
No matter which way you look at this situation, it’s clear the Lightning will need to make up some points. It’s do or die time for the Bolts, and one mistake, no matter how small, can turn the Lightning’s playoff hopes from possible to mathematically eliminated.
Unfortunately, in order for the Lightning to make up the amount of points they need to forge their way into a playoff spot when the season comes to a close, they will need a serious assist from some of their opponents. This is not something these teams will give willingly.
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While it’s necessary for the Lightning to play their best hockey of the season to even hope for a spot in the playoffs, a few good games won’t give them a spot in the playoffs. Unfortunately, at this point in the season, the Bolts can the remainder of their games and still not secure a playoff spot unless one of the teams ahead of them in the standings drop some of their remaining games too.