Of course, it's one thing to talk-the-talk. This Lightning team has walked-the-walk. The consistency in their game has been unmatched in the league. They've lost back-to-back only twice. In one of those sets, both losses came in overtime or the shootout. Their record after a loss is 15-1-1. Sure, there have been a few games in which they haven't been at their best. But those contests have been extremely rare. And sometimes, thanks to their goaltending, they emerge victorious, anyway. They've endured some rough stretches within games, too. But they've been excellent at self-correcting in between periods - or even within a period - and offsetting isolated rough segments with excellent play at other points in the game.
How have they done this? Certainly, having a talented and deep roster is an important part of it. So too has been the buy-in from the players. But currently, there are a number of other really good teams in the NHL - still, none of those has come close to what the Lightning have accomplished during this regular season. Nor have, as mentioned earlier, many of the previous Presidents' Trophy winners.
The bottom line is that it's difficult to maintain a high level of play during the grind of a regular season. At different points over an 82-game schedule, the opponent may be fresher or more desperate. The Lightning's ability to navigate their way through the first 73 games is a credit to the businesslike-way they've handled the challenge of being ready to perform, no matter the opponent, no matter the circumstances.
So it's the laser focus on paying attention to the details of the game and looking at the small picture that's led to big-picture success. Of course, the players and coaches also understand full well that the final number of wins or points they've accumulated after Game #82 won't carry over into the first round of the playoffs. But the good habits they've continued working on this year will.
