Once again the Lightning appear to be viewed as the little engine that won’t.
The defending Eastern Conference champions have advanced past the first two rounds of the playoffs for the second consecutive season. A group which reached the Stanley Cup Final last season, returned nearly intact from the team that lost to Chicago in six games almost a year ago.
Of course there were struggles for Tampa Bay. A short summer – it was 86 days from the end of the Stanley Cup Final to the first day of training camp – stunted the normal training routine for the players. The mind set perhaps wasn’t at top level entering the season, with the loss in the Final still all too raw even as it was time to turn the page.
Yet, the Lightning found a way to push through all that and persevere and here they are once again one step away from becoming the first team to repeat as Eastern Conference champion since Pittsburgh in 2008 and 2009.
“We are a resilient team,’’ center Brian Boyle said. “I think we learned a lot of lessons last year. It’s important that we have applied those this year.’’
But when it comes to how this year’s Lightning team is viewed heading in to the conference finals this season, it’s as if Tampa Bay is no longer seen as the overachieving student that set the curve in class. Instead it’s the new student on the slate that appears to be acing the exam for the latest Eastern Conference final.
On the eve of the beginning of the series between Tampa Bay and Pittsburgh, few predictions have yet to be published. But based on early commentary from many around hockey circles, the Penguins will get a majority of the votes as the team most likely to advance to the next round.
TORONTO, ON – NOVEMBER 14: Sidney Crosby #87 and Evgeni Malkin #71 of the Pittsburgh Penguins skate against the Toronto Maple Leafs at the Air Canada Centre on November 14, 2014 in Toronto, Canada. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
To be honest, that’s not really unexpected. The Penguins have Sidney Crosby. They have Evgeni Malkin, who makes a habit of embarrassing Lightning defensemen that seem to appear on highlight reels for years to come. Pittsburgh has Phil Kessell, the quiet scorer who was overly criticized during his time in Toronto but has turned in to a point-per-game player in the playoffs.
The Lightning, what do they have?
Steven Stamkos is not playing, so how can Tampa Bay have much hope of returning to the Stanley Cup Final?
Well, overlook this group all you want. They don’t care. They welcome being overlooked by the more prestigious franchises.
Anybody remember last playoff season heading to Madison Square Garden for Game 7 of the East Final? Tampa Bay was just blown out on home ice while holding a 3-2 series lead. Ben Bishop was pulled from the net and the Lightning had to face all the history of the New York Rangers.
New York had never lost a Game 7 at MSG. Henrik Lundqvist had never lost a Game 7, period. The coronation had already begun before the puck dropped.
The Lightning looked all that in that straight in the eye and said “They haven’t played the 2015 Tampa Bay Lightning’’ Tampa Bay went on to crash the Garden party and steal the Eastern Conference crown from King Henrik.
NEW YORK, NY – MAY 29: Brian Boyle #11 of the Tampa Bay Lightning shakes hands with Henrik Lundqvist #30 of the New York Rangers after the Lightning defeated the Rangers by a score of 2-0 to win Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Finals during the 2015 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Madison Square Garden on May 29, 2015 in New York City. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
Here now are the Lightning, back in the conference final playing the role of underdog again, a role they seem to relish. So count them out all you want. Doubt that they are capable of hanging with a Penguins team filled with not only star power, but depth.
One might even argue that the path to get past two rounds was not as difficult as any of the four teams still alive in the postseason. Yet despite the absence of captain and leading goal scorer Stamkos along with top level defenseman Anton Stralman, Tampa Bay dispatched of both Detroit and the Islanders in quick fashion, taking just 10 games to reach this point.
That’s a testament to not only the confidence this team has in itself – no matter what those outside the locker room – but the quality of players that have now been together for a two-year journey that continues.
“It just proves the quality of players that we have on this team and how well we work together,’’ Stralman said. “As I’ve said many times before this team is still in the growing process. We haven’t played together for that long of a time. I think we just have to keep improving as a group and as individuals and at the end I think we can do some really good things. We are still heading on the right track and we are excited about what we have in here. It’s all in our hands, really.’’
So doubt this group all you want. They’ll be more than happy to prove everybody wrong once again.
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