WASHINGTON — The Tampa Bay Lightning are the hottest team in the NHL. They’ve won eight games in a row sandwiched around the 4 Nations Face-Off and last lost on Feb. 1. They have not been defeated in regulation since January. Coach Jon Cooper’s team is doing it with defense first and discovered a winning style that can be replicated in the playoffs. With elite goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy in his prime and plenty of high-end talent on the roster, that’s bad news for the rest of the league this spring.
