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Tampa Bay Lightning: 5 burning questions for 2018-19 season

By Hunter Hodies

TAMPA, FL - APRIL 14: Steven Stamkos
TAMPA, FL - APRIL 14: Steven Stamkos /
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TAMPA, FL – MAY 23: Tyler Johnson #9 of the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Washington Capitals during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on May 23, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)”n
TAMPA, FL – MAY 23: Tyler Johnson #9 of the Tampa Bay Lightning against the Washington Capitals during Game Seven of the Eastern Conference Final during the 2018 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on May 23, 2018 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)”n /

The Tampa Bay Lightning are going to have to face these questions if they finally want to get over the hump and win the Stanley Cup this coming season.

The Tampa Bay Lightning got back to the Eastern Conference Final for the second time in three seasons this past season but again failed to make it back to the Stanley Cup Final. It was the second time in three years that they had a 3-2 series lead in the conference final before losing the final two games. It happened to the Pittsburgh Penguins back in 2016, and then, of course, this year against the Washington Capitals. Here’s a look at some questions facing Tampa going into this season after the playoff disappointment.

5. Can they finally go back to the Stanley Cup Final and win?

Tampa has one of the best teams in the league going into this season and is rightfully a Stanley Cup contender. They just missed out on going to the final this past season and to get back there, they’re going to have to exercise their demons. They can’t keep choking 3-2 series leads in a conference final, especially this year when they went down 2-0 in their series against Washington and won three straight only to lose the next two. They have too good of a team for that to happen.

This is a team that is just loaded. Their top nine consists of Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point, etc. Their defense consists of Victor Hedman, Anton Stralman, Ryan McDonagh, and Mikhail Sergachev. They not only have one of the best forward groups in the league, they have one of the best defensive corps in the league too. Add in Andrei Vasilevskiy and this is a team that can definitely win it all.

The road, though, will be harder this year considering Toronto got John Tavares in free agency and Boston will also be very good again. Add in the Penguins and the defending champion Washington Capitals to the mix and it looks even more daunting. There are no more excuses for the Lightning as they have one of the best teams in the league and need to shake off this choking that’s occurred recently.

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