Tampa Bay Lightning needs to remain vigilant heading into postseason

The Tampa Bay Lightning may have very little to lose over the remainder of the regular season, but this doesn’t mean the Lightning should let off the gas in the final weeks.

The Tampa Bay Lightning’s 2018-19 season has been one for the record books. It seems as if every time one turns around the Lightning is making history in one way or another. Needless to say, it’s an excellent time to be a fan here in the Bolts Nation.

On Monday night, the Lightning set the bar that much higher in their 4-1 victory over the Arizona Coyotes at the Amalie Arena. Early in the first period, Lightning captain Steven Stamkos made history, scoring his 384th career goal. This milestone, which he achieved in just 737 games, allowed him to pass former Tampa Bay Lightning captain Vincent Lecavalier for the franchise record in goals scored.

As if the evening wasn’t special enough with the Stamkos milestone, things were about to get that much better for the Lightning and their fans. In the final minute of the third period, the Lightning found themselves with a 2-1 lead over the Coyotes. A single minute separated them from yet another history-making moment.

When the Lightning unleashed not one, but two short-handed goals, the crowd in attendance soared to their feet and absolutely blew the roof off of 401 Channelside Drive. There was nothing in between the Tampa Bay Lightning and what is known as the “Triple Crown” of hockey.

With the Lightning’s regulation victory over the Coyotes, the Bolts would not only seize back-to-back Atlantic Division Championships, but they would also capture the Eastern Conference and bring home their first-ever Presidents’ Trophy. The Presidents’ Trophy is awarded to the team in the National Hockey League who finishes the regular season with the most points (i.e. the best record in the league.)

Usually, this is something which is captured in the final few games of the season. The Tampa Bay Lightning managed to claim this honor for themselves with three weeks left in the regular season. There is still a lot of hockey left to play, but it is mathematically impossible for anyone to surpass the Bolts. How crazy is that?

It would seem as if the Tampa Bay Lightning has absolutely nothing to lose over the remainder of the regular season. The thing is, this couldn’t be further from the truth. Despite the incredible position the Lightning finds themselves in right now, there is still work to be done before the buzzer sounds to end the regular season.

Tampa Bay Lightning

The Bolts have a difficult couple of weeks ahead. There are nine games left on the schedule for the Tampa Bay Lightning. In those nine games, they will meet with four Atlantic Division opponents in the Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens, Toronto Maple Leafs, and the big, bad Boston Bruins.

Not only will the Bolts collide with the Boston Bruins twice in the next time games, but they will also have to come face to face with captain Alexander Ovechkin and the defending Stanley Cup Champion Washington Capitals on two occasions. The Bolts definitely had a good outing the last time these two teams met, but this doesn’t ensure a victory for the Boys in Blue moving forward.

The Lightning needs to do everything they can to keep their feet on the gas heading into the postseason. They have worked incredibly hard to get to where they are right now and it would be incredibly disheartening to see them seemingly throw in the towel in the final games of the season simply because their position is secured.

All eyes in the National Hockey League are going to be on the Tampa Bay Lightning from now until the end of the season. Those who have an opportunity to compete for the greatest trophy in all of the sports world, the Stanley Cup, will be studying the Bolts to attempt to decipher a way to defeat them.

Momentum is a tricky thing, especially heading into the postseason. Keeping momentum on your side can put you on the fast track to reaching your goal. At the same time, losing said momentum can be like hitting a brick wall at 60 mph. There is absolutely no one who would want to experience the latter.

The Tampa Bay Lightning needs to stay the course and continue to play their game, their way as they have been for most of the season. If the Lightning achieves this, they will head into the postseason full steam ahead and with momentum securely on their side.

If you’re the superstitious type, you know the Lightning already has the deck stacked against them. The unpleasant aura known as the “Presidents’ Trophy Curse” would say the Tampa Bay Lightning has the odds stacked against them in the quest for Lord Stanley’s Cup. However, those of us here in the Bolts Nation know if there was ever a team who could break said curse, it would be the Bolts this season.

The road ahead is filled with peril for the Bolts, but if the team can keep their heads into the game and focused on the task at hand, the remainder of the season should be smooth sailing and Lightning should be charged and ready to strike when the puck drops to signal the start of the postseason.