Top 5 Lightning Moments from 2022

May 14, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nick Paul (20) celebrates after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period of game seven of the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
May 14, 2022; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Tampa Bay Lightning forward Nick Paul (20) celebrates after scoring against the Toronto Maple Leafs in the second period of game seven of the first round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Scotiabank Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dan Hamilton-USA TODAY Sports
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(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)
(Photo by Julio Aguilar/Getty Images)

1. Lightning make it to their third straight Stanley Cup Final

It had been almost forty years since a team made three straight Stanley Cup Final’s, back when Wayne Gretzky and Mark Messier were on the Edmonton Oilers. The Lightning made their third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance where they faced up against the Colorado Avalanche, who would go on to defeat the Lightning in six games.

Just like any other sport, making three straight finals is near impossible, especially in a league where there’s a hard salary cap and not a lot of rest between seasons once you have already played 60+ playoff games in those three seasons already.

A third straight cup would’ve put them in a very exclusive club, but there was no stopping the juggernaut that was the Avalanche. The Lightning gave it their all, but came away empty handed, but there is no team that can do what the Lightning were able to do, something almost every fan of any team can agree on.