Tampa Bay Lightning won the 2019-20 Stanley Cup, the second in their relatively short history, and now look set to retain their title and secure back-to-back titles. The Lightning finished third in the Central Division with a 36-17-3 record, which was enough to accumulate 75 points. They finished four points behind the Florida Panthers and five behind Carolina Hurricanes.
Although Lightning finished third in the Central Division, the team’s loyal fans were worried how Tampa Bay would perform in the playoffs after losing the last three fixtures of the regular season. A 2-5 defeat at home to the Dallas Stars was followed by 1-5 and 0-4 defeats on the road at the Florida Panthers. The losses at the hands of the Panthers gave the greatest concern because it was the Panthers who waited for the Lightning in the First Round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Stanley Cup NHL betting odds suggested the Colorado Avalanche or Vegas Golden Knights were the favorites to win the 2021 Stanley Cup. Lightning is now the first favorites after shining brightly during the playoffs.
Lightning Boosted By Kucherov’s Return
The Lightning soon quashed any fears their fans may have had when they ran out 5-4 winners in Game 1. The game marked the return of Nikita Kucherov and what an impact the 28-year-old Russian had.
Kucherov was exceptional during Lightning’s recent Stanley Cup-winning season, but he missed the entire 2020-21 campaign after undergoing hip surgery. Kucherov did not step foot onto the ice once during the regular season but returned with a bang in the playoffs. Two goals and one assist from the right-winger helped the Lightning get their playoff charge off to a winning start.
Lightning eventually ran out 4-2 winners before brushing aside Carolina Hurricanes 4-1 in the Second Round.
Lightning Bulldoze The Islanders in Game 5
Lightning finds themselves 3-2 to the good in the Stanley Cup Semifinals against the New York Islanders at the time of writing. Game 5 of a possible seven saw the Lightning record an emphatic 8-0 victory, which tipped the scales in their favor and granted the entire roster a massive morale boost.
Again, Kucherov was instrumental in Lightning’s victory. He scored another two goals and assisted another as the Lightning completed a rout. In the 16 playoff games he has played so far this season, Kucherov has five goals and 22 assists for 27 points in total. Throw into the mix the fact Braydon Point cannot stop scoring — he has 23 goals and 25 assists during the regular season, and 13 goals and five assists during the playoffs — and the Lightning can beat any team.
Golden Knights With It All To Do
Should Lightning progress from the semifinals, which everything points towards happenings, they take on the Vegas Golden Knights and Montreal Canadiens game winners. Canadiens lead the series 3-2 after winning Game 5 by four goals to one.
The Golden Knights should, on paper at least, be able to turn around their deficit and book their place in the 2021 Stanley Cup. They won 16 more games than the Canadiens during the regular season.
They have not made matters easy for themselves in the playoffs, though. The Golden Knights needed all seven games to send Minnesota Wild to the showers in the West Division First Round. They were 0-2 after two games against Colorado Avalanche in the Second Round before rallying to win 4-2. Now they have it all to do in the semifinals against a Canadiens that is looking for its 25th Stanley Cup title, but its first since 1992-93.
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