5 reasons why the Tampa Bay Lightning can win the Stanley Cup
By Simon Vacca
1. It’s their time to shine
Until June 7, 2018, some of the sport’s more vocal critics held the likes of Alexander Ovechkin, Nicklas Backstrom, Braden Holtby and Barry Trotz in an unfavorable light, frequently employing a disparaging term — losers — when scrutinizing the faces of Washington’s organization.
But the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs were an opportunity for the ages for the overlooked Capitals. And boy, did they ever deliver. In 24 games, Washington managed to rewrite history — slaying its dragon by eliminating Sidney Crosby and the Pittsburgh Penguins from postseason contention, advancing past the Eastern Conference favorites in the Tampa Bay Lightning and capturing a Stanley Cup in just five games against Marc-André Fleury and the Vegas Golden Knights.
The chorus of non-believers in Ovechkin — known in part for echoing a recurring talking point, “Ovie will go down in history as the best player to never win it all” — was perpetually hushed. Nowadays, he’s the go-to example of a valuable lesson that is all too often forgotten in the world of sport: never underestimate the underestimated.
Much of the same has been said about the Lightning — namely its superstar, Steven Stamkos — as the organization’s playoff hurdles have piled up over the years. Yet few organizations have demonstrated dominance of this particular variety.
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The Bolts have all of the tools and more to translate aspirations of sipping from the Holy Grail of hockey into a reality. Its offense, defense, goaltending and coaching is nothing short of world-class. Better yet, the club’s mastery of seemingly any and all fronts is a sure sign of greater success to come.
And when all is said and done, it simply feels like it’s their time to shine.
Right?