The Tampa Bay Lightning are finally back and a real threat

The Tampa Bay Lightning have won their last seven games and are closing the gap in the Atlantic Division. It took half a season to get going, but they’re back.

It’s been a rough season so far for the Tampa Bay Lightning, but it looks last year’s Presidents’ Trophy winners are finally getting back on track with their seventh consecutive win.

After last season’s historic regular season that tied the NHL record for wins, the Lightning suffered that devastating first round sweep against the Columbus Blue Jackets, which seemed to carry a hangover into this season as Tampa Bay just couldn’t get going despite all the expectations on the team.

All the talent was there, but well into December the Lightning still found themselves on the outside of the playoffs looking in, with more and more questions being raised about the ability of the team. Frustration with the team was starting to mount, questions about the coach and leaders like Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos were being raised. Things needed to turn around soon or the consequences would be severe.

Recently however, the Lightning of old seem to be coming back. Ever since starting December with a 5-4-1 record, the Lightning have come storming back with seven consecutive wins, the last four all coming on the road for just the second four-game road sweep in franchise history. Their most recent win was an impressive 3-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on the second half of a back to back, getting the performances needed from their stars and depth alike.

One of the main catalysts for the Lightning’s recent success has been Andrei Vasilevskiy. His struggles earlier in the season were one of the reasons that the team couldn’t really get going, but he has returned to form in spades since December. He’s started five games of this seven-game win streak, and posted save percentages above .900 in four of those five outings.

This win streak is coming at a great time in Tampa Bay’s schedule, as the first six of their seven wins came against teams in the Atlantic Division, helping them put some separation between them and the rest of the division. They currently sit in third in the Atlantic Division with 52 points, and only one point behind the Toronto Maple Leafs for second. Their playoff odds have also skyrocketed, currently sitting at 94.2 percent according to SportsClubStats, and 89.6 percent according to MoneyPuck.

Even with their frustrating start to the season, the Lightning are still well within striking range of the Boston Bruins for the lead in the Atlantic Division. As a matter of fact, both the Lightning and Maple Leafs have as many wins as the Bruins, but since the Bruins have lost 11 games in overtime/shootouts, they lead the division with 59 points. If the Bruins continue to underperform, and the Lightning build on their success, then the Atlantic Division will get much more interesting than previously anticipated.

The Lightning have faced plenty of adversity in the last year, and if they can start put all of that behind them in 2020, they will be serious contenders for not just the Atlantic Division, but the Stanley Cup. Sometimes it takes a defeat as severe as last year’s loss to the Blue Jackets to push a team to the next level, and sometimes it takes a frustrating regular season to have a strong postseason. The Lightning have had to deal with both. If they get out of their own way for good, watch out.