We could spend the next 1,000 words breaking down the action of the Tampa Bay Lightning’s 4-2 loss to the New York Rangers in the final game of the regular season. However, nothing structurally or strategically from tonight’s defeat will carry forward into the playoffs. Jake Guentzel, Brayden Point, Anthony Cirelli, J.J. Moser, Ryan McDonagh, and Andrei Vasilevskiy were high-priced fans for the night. The loss didn’t hurt the Lightning and the win didn’t help the Rangers. So, it was meaningless, right?

In the sense that on a long enough timeline, everything is meaningless, sure. Win one Stanley Cup and it’s the pinnacle of success for a year. After 1,000 years and 1,000 Stanley Cups are awarded it’s just another trinket on the wall. Over an 82-game season it’s also just another day at the office, but it doesn’t mean it was meaningless.

Was it meaningless for Brandon Halverson? The 30-year-old netminder has patrolled the crease from Greenville, South Carolina to Bayreuth, Germany and played in 286 minor-league games. Not only did he get to start a NHL game, the second of his career, he got to do it against the team that drafted him 12 years ago. It would have been sweeter had he picked up the win, but it won’t dim the memory for him.

What about Oliver Bjorkstrand. It’s been a rough year for the pending unrestricted free agent. Brought in to provide offense, it’s been a struggle from the get-go and he’s gone from second line scoring option to fourth-line grinder. Looking back and seeing the number “12” in the goals scored column instead of “11” isn’t going to make a huge difference years from now, but maybe, just maybe it gives him a bit of confidence. Heading into the playoffs with a one-game goal streak definitely sounds a lot better than heading in with a 19-game goal drought.

Corey Perry had the other Lightning goal, his 17th of the season, on a savvy backhander from distance. At 40-years-old there is always the possibility that each game he plays is his last. Could he have ended his hall-of-fame regular season career with a goal? The same can be said for Scott Sabourin. He might be a few years younger than Perry, but he’s not guaranteed a spot on a NHL team next season. Heck, if everything had gone according to Hoyle with the Lightning this season, he would have spent the season in Syracuse, not logging his most NHL time since 2019-20. The big guy picked up an assist (tying his career high of 4). Is it a coincidence that the assembled media made Perry and Sabourin the second and third stars of the night?

Every game, no matter how little impact it has on the standings, means something to someone.

The Highlights