By JUSTIN KANE
If you stop anybody off the street and asked them to name a few teams from the National Hockey League that are in the playoffs more than half would respond with “the Pittsburgh Penguins” or “the Washington Capitals.” Both were correct responses but what they may not know is that both of those teams have been ousted by a team that not too many respect, that team from Tampa Bay, the Lightning.
Before the Washington series, eight of ESPN’s “hockey experts” selected who they thought would win the series, all eight selected the Capitals. And in the first round the same eight made their selections for the Pittsburgh series and only one selected Tampa. Why is there so little respect for a team that scored 103 points this season and has Marin St. Louis who was second in the league in points scored.
The Lighting are a team worth respecting seeing how they are now four wins away from the Stanley Cup.
In the first round the fifth seed Lightning started off against the four seed Pittsburgh Penguins. They took one game in Pittsburgh but despite playing at home dropped both home games in overtime putting them in a 3-1 hole. At that point many analysis wrote them off saying “Pitt is too tough for Tampa to overcome.” But in game five, on the brink of elimination, the Lightning put up eight goals in an 8-2 victory, starting the comeback. In the last two games the Lightning outscored the Penguins 5-2, winning the series 4-3.
The strength lied in their defense where they only gave up an average of two goals per game who averaged three goals a game in the regular season. A big part of their defense was their penalty kill, which allowed only one power play goal in 35 attempts. The 97 percent penalty kill in the first round was 14 percent better than the regular season and number one in the NHL.
In the second round the Lightning faced the number one seed Washington Capitals, where they were sure to lose. It’s Alexander Ovechkin and the big and bad Capitals, the number one seed in the entire Eastern Conference, who beat the Lighting five times this season. However, since 2003 the Capitals have lost four straight games in the postseason to the Lightning. This year was no different as the Lightning swept the Capitals extending that streak to eight games.
The defense again stepped up and held the Capitals to 2.5 goals per game and killing 17 of 19 power play opportunities.
The Lightning now face the Boston Bruins in the Eastern Conference Finals and people are starting to believe in the Lightning. After Boston beat the Philadelphia Flyers on May 6 ESPN hockey analysis Matthew Barnaby tweeted “I am picking Tampa in 7. Ok Boston come get me in 3-2-1.” Hopefully after this others will follow in his tracks and pick the Lightning.