The Lightning qualified for the playoffs for the fifth straight season. They have advanced to at least the third round in five of the past seven, won the Stanley Cup the past two seasons and have looked no worse for wear after playing an NHL-high 48 postseason games since 2019-20.
Forwards Steven Stamkos (82 points), Brayden Point (55), Alex Killorn (54) and Nikita Kucherov (47 points in 39 games), and defenseman Victor Hedman (68), have led the Lightning offensively. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy again is having a season worthy of the Vezina Trophy, voted to the best in the NHL at the position. The 2018-19 winner is 35-17-5 with a 2.46 goals-against average, .917 save percentage and two shutouts in 58 games. He's tied for second in the NHL in wins, one behind Juuse Saros of the Nashville Predators, after leading the NHL each of the past four seasons.
Tampa Bay ranks in the top 11 in the NHL in goals per game (3.29, 11th) and goals allowed per game (2.74, tied for seventh), and is third with 23 comeback wins. Their longest losing skid has been four games (0-2-2, April 2-8).
The Lightning made a few additions prior to the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline, adding depth in hope of winning their third straight Cup championship with the acquisitions of forwards Brandon Hagel (Chicago Blackhawks),
Riley Nash
(Arizona Coyotes) and Nicholas Paul (Ottawa Senators).
Here's a look at the Lightning's path to a playoff berth:
Most Valuable Player: Stamkos, who has dealt with injuries the past two seasons, has missed one game and leads the Lightning in goals (32), assists (50) and points. Tampa Bay's captain has helped the power play with 12 goals and 26 points and is first on the Lightning with three overtime goals and eight game-winning goals.
Unsung Hero: Corey Perry signed a one-year contract prior to the season and was expected to give the Lightning depth and physicality. The 36-year-old forward has scored 36 points (17 goals, 19 assists) in 74 games, his highest goal and points totals since 2017-18 with the Anaheim Ducks. He has 57 penalty minutes and scored four game-winning goals.
Memorable Moment: The Lightning played their first NHL outdoor game, the 2022 Navy Federal Credit Union NHL Stadium Series on Feb. 26, against the Predators at Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Stamkos scored three points (one goal, two assists) in a 3-2 win in a playoff-like atmosphere. Just as memorable was the outfits the players wore when they arrived at the game,
all-denim "Canadian tuxedos" and cowboy hats
.
Key Number: 14. The number of players remaining from the Stanley Cup-winning roster from a season ago: eight forwards, five defensemen and one goalie. Defenseman Zach Bogosian won the Cup with the Lightning in 2020 before returning in the offseason. Perry is a previous Cup winner, with the Ducks in 2007.
Question Mark: Fatigue. After winning the Stanley Cup twice in less than 10 months, the Lightning have shown signs of wearing down. They've had five streaks of at least three losses; they had four streaks of at least three straight losses the previous two seasons.
Reason Lightning Can Win It All: They always seem to rise to the occasion when it matters. The Lightning are 14-0 following a loss the past two playoffs, showing the ability to put bad games behind them quickly. They have depth at forward and defenseman, and the best goalie in the NHL. Plus, Jon Cooper is the longest-tenured active coach and arguably has been one of the most underrated in the NHL for the past decade.
