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Tampa Bay Lightning can win the President’s Trophy and the Stanley Cup

By Lane Fahey

TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 19: Tampa Bay Lightening game winning celebration during the NHL Hockey match between the Tampa Bay Lightening and San Jose Sharks on January 19 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - JANUARY 19: Tampa Bay Lightening game winning celebration during the NHL Hockey match between the Tampa Bay Lightening and San Jose Sharks on January 19 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Andrew Bershaw/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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The Tampa Bay Lightning is in the midst of a stellar season and there is a very good possibility the Lightning can capture both the President’s Trophy and the grandest prize of them all, the Stanley Cup.

Now over halfway through the season,  the Tampa Bay Lightning are on pace for 127 points on the season. If the numbers stand, and the Bolts continue to win, a President’s Trophy may be up for grabs.

The President’s Trophy is given to the team with the most points in the league at the end of the regular season. There is always talk about the President’s Trophy curse and how the top team always seems to crumble under pressure. While this has been the case the past five years, some great NHL teams have shined past the pressure in the past.

The trophy was first introduced in the 1985-86 season, and since then eight teams that won the President’s Trophy went on to win the Stanley Cup. The most recent team was the Chicago Blackhawks in the shortened 2012-13 season.

Some seasons, it seems that the top team will crumble under the pressure come playoff time. If the Bolts stay consistent, the team will not worry about becoming apart of the dreaded curse.

An important factor of a deep playoff run is a healthy team. Earlier in the season, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy fractured his foot and was out for about a month. While an injury is never desired, Vasilevskiy should now be rested up come postseason.

As of right now, the Lightning is up five points on any other team in the league, with two games in hand. Nikita Kucherov leads the league with 78 points, and the team is averaging 4 goals per game. The league average is 3.03 per game. If these stats continue throughout the season, the Lightning has a chance to not only win the President’s Trophy but also the Stanley Cup.

Next. Andrei Vasilevskiy Added to Atlantic Division Roster. dark

The Tampa Bay Lightning has shined as a team this season. There are still plenty of games to play, but Bolts Nation can’t help but get excited about the future. Now that the All-Star break has come to a close, the Bolts are back to business. The  Lightning is set to play the Pittsburgh Penguins January 30th at the PPG Paints Arena in Pittsburgh.

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