Tampa Bay Lightning

Record: 47-27-8, 102 points
First-round opponent: Panthers

Case for a Stanley Cup run: It's easy to cite Tampa Bay's recent success as the reason it could add another banner to the rafters. But this Lightning team is built differently. Tampa Bay is not just relying on its elite goal scorers (ahem, Nikita Kucherov) to carry the day. The Lightning are well established defensively, and that's been a driver of their success the second half of this season. Since Feb. 1, Tampa has allowed the sixth-fewest goals in the league (2.40), with an impressive top-10 penalty kill (80.3%).

Andrei Vasilevskiy has been terrific in the crease, collecting the second-most wins among league starters (37) with a .921 save percentage and 2.20 goals-against average. Oh, and Kucherov? He only leads the league in scoring with 37 goals and 121 points. With Jon Cooper — fresh off guiding Canada to victory at the 4 Nations Face-Off — managing this lineup, the sky's the limit for Tampa Bay.

X factor: The Lightning have enviable scoring talent in Kucherov, Jake Guentzel (40 goals), Brayden Point (41 goals) and Brandon Hagel (35). But does Tampa have the depth to compete when offense is at a premium? In the past it's been unsung heroes like Nick Paul who come through when the Lightning's best skaters are neutralized.

This season, most of Tampa Bay's output is coming from a handful of exceptional players. The Lightning's ability to tap into the power of their bottom six will be critical. That doesn't negate how strong Tampa Bay's defense has been or the benefit in having Vasilevskiy back there guarding the cage. It's just a reality in the postseason that star contributions dwindle and have to be supplemented from somewhere else.

Player to watch: Victor Hedman. The Lightning's top blueliner took over his team's captaincy when Steven Stamkos left in free agency. Keeping Tampa Bay even-keeled in the postseason will fall on him. Hedman plays more than 23 minutes per game in every situation and it often feels like where he goes, the Lightning follow. Setting that example again and ensuring Tampa Bay doesn't lose track of its freshly ingrained defensive mindset will give the Lightning their best chance of a long spring.

Bold prediction: Tampa Bay's scoring stars are silenced early in the first round. Every game is decided by a single goal and ultimately the Lightning fall in six to face a swift summer break.

PS, they have all 16 teams in the article

15 comments

  2. Leafs and Sens would be my upset pick if I had to choose one. Habs/ Caps seems too far out there.

  3. I do worry about our bottom six. We know all four lines have to contribute to win a cup. Paul, Chaffee, and Goncalves potting some goals would go a long way.

    Don’t think the panthers can shut down our top guys, but if we move on it will eventually happen.

  5. Reading, I”m nodding along, yes, yes, yes, and then the last paragraph was the surprise kicker! 

    We will need production from the bottom six to move on, because they will definitely focus on our several top scorers.

    I have a secondary pick, but am not claiming it until absolutely necessary. 🙁

  6. Bottom six Glendenning, Chaffee and Bjorkstrand all out injured. This at some point will bite us in the butt.

  8. This is the same media outlet that said our biggest need and the issue we needed to address at the trade deadline was finding a backup for Vasy to split games down the stretch or if Vasy continues to fall off…

  9. Sees Toronto larping at the top of the list insisting that four players can bring a team to the cup finals:

    Oh look! Predictions made by a Canadian who doesn’t know puck!

  10. It’s true though. If they silence our top guys, we’re hooped.

    That being said, if we can silence their top guys, it’s an equal playing field imo.

    This series should hopefully be tight and could really go any way.

    Way more confident than last year, but you just never know.

    I’m anxious as fuck already.

  11. Panthers smothered Kucherov last year and nobody else stepped up. They will do the same this year. We need others to fill the void. We are a better team than last year so it’s possible but we have looked bad this year when teams get physical and pressure everyone.

  12. ESPN’s hoxkey department is essentially casual fans. They have no idea on the interplay between players, styles, etc.

  13. I don’t like that we got matched with Florida first, but I think we’ve got them this year.

  14. Fuckin brain dead given all the info they provided

    Our problem was speed vs braun

    We added a couple goons

    I’ll get my boat ready

  15. The “every game decided by a single goal” is 100% going to be wrong. That’s just initially what I see wrong

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