Fansided

Tampa Bay Lightning set to coast to Playoffs thanks to soft schedule

By Simon Vacca

TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 25: Victor Hedman #77 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates the win with teammates against the Los Angeles Kings at Amalie Arena on February 25, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 25: Victor Hedman #77 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates the win with teammates against the Los Angeles Kings at Amalie Arena on February 25, 2019 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images) /
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With the NHL playoffs on the not-so-distant horizon, the Tampa Bay Lightning continue to serve as Stanley Cup favorites.

Far and away, the Tampa Bay Lightning have had the strongest season of any team in the National Hockey League.

Propelled by stellar goaltending from Andrei Vasilevskiy, boasting a top-notch blue line fronted by Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh and critically acclaimed for its depth-ridden offense — as the likes of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Steven Stamkos continue to lie at the forefront of the sport’s headlines — the Bolts are the esteemed favorite to win Lord Stanley’s trophy. Add the fact that the club has shown next to no signs of slowing down to the mix and a noteworthy argument can be made: it is not only possible, but better yet plausible that hockey’s top prize is Tampa’s to lose.

Of course, the suspicion among some is that the Lightning may have peaked too soon for their own good. With 102 points, Jon Cooper’s men sit 13 points above the NHL’s second-best team (the Calgary Flames), and 17 points ahead of their next best rival in the Atlantic Division (the Boston Bruins). Unexpectedly, in the eyes of many, the Presidents’ Trophy ought to be given to Tampa as early as now.

Here’s a look at what’s in store for the Bolts’ remaining games.

  • March 2 — Ottawa Senators (home)
  • March 5 — Winnipeg Jets (home)
  • March 7 — Minnesota Wild (home)
  • March 9 — Detroit Red Wings (home)
  • March 11 — Toronto Maple Leafs (away)
  • March 14 — Detroit Red Wings (away)
  • March 16 — Washington Capitals (home)
  • March 18 — Arizona Coyotes (home)
  • March 20 — Washington Capitals (away)
  • March 21 — Carolina Hurricanes (away)
  • March 23 — St. Louis Blues (away)
  • March 25 — Boston Bruins (home)
  • March 30 — Washington Capitals (home)
  • April 1 — Ottawa Senators (away)
  • April 2 — Montréal Canadiens (away)
  • April 4 — Toronto Maple Leafs (away)
  • April 6 — Boston Bruins (away)

Next. Strength of Schedule -- Gardiner, Dermott injuries will test Leafs’ depth. dark

While the postseason is still an item of great surety, the weeks ahead promise to pose their fair share of challenges for Tampa. Nine games in opposition to division rivals — two of which are against the Toronto Maple Leafs and two of which are against the red hot Boston Bruins — is no easy task for any franchise. But the Lightning — continuing to ride the tide of momentum-driven talent — remain relentless.

After all, anything short of a Stanley Cup would be a failure at this point.

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