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Can the Lightning Challenge for the Three-peat? |
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If Pat Maroon is to be believed, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a stellar chance at challenging for the three-peat Stanley Cup championship next season. Let’s take a look at three reasons for why he’s right and three reasons for why he’s wrong:
Why He’s Right
1) The Core Remains Intact
Any team that can send out Brayden Point, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh, and Steven Stamkos – among others – on a nightly basis is going to have a shot at competing for the Stanley Cup. While Tampa Bay’s depth certainly took a sizable hit this offseason, the big pieces on the roster will be returning for another run.
2) Goaltending Wins Championships
No matter how much depth the Lightning lost this summer, opposing teams will still have to contend with Andrei Vasilevskiy in the Lightning crease. He’s widely viewed as the best goaltender in the game today, and he does a remarkable job of giving the Bolts a chance to win most every game – especially in the playoffs! If he gets hot again, there’s no reason to think that he can’t be the architect of a lengthy run.
3) The Competition Got Worse
As much as the Lightning roster looks worse today than it did a couple months ago, so do the rosters of most of their competing teams in the Atlantic Division; Florida might be a lone exception. The result is that the Bolts are still a favorite in the division, which should pave the way for them to get into the playoffs once again:
Once you’re in as a quality team, anything can happen:
Why He’s Wrong
1) The Lost Depth was More than Depth
Losing a “third” line might not sound like all that big of a deal, but the Yanni Gourde line was arguably the most important third line in the entire National Hockey League. On many nights, in fact, it really functioned as Jon Cooper’s second line. He could use them in all situations, both offensively and defensively, and he could count on them delivering their best almost every shift. Rolling three dangerous lines will be more difficult for the coaching staff now, which should in turn allow for a heightened defensive focus by opponents on Kucherov and Point. Their loss will be felt in a big way up and down the lineup.
2) The Stanley Cup Hangover Could be Real This Time
The Lightning never really suffered from any sort of Stanley Cup hangover following their 2020 “bubble” victory in Edmonton. Perhaps not being able to win in front of fans left them with a severe hunger to get back and do it again with people at Amalie Arena. Perhaps the wear and tear of COVID-19 just didn’t allow for a usual lengthy celebration. Either way, the Bolts came out in 2021 and were able to get the job done with relative ease. The emotional high of this 2021 win felt quite a bit more significant for the players, which might make going back for thirds a more challenging task.
3) It Just Doesn’t Happen
Back-to-back Stanley Cup wins is rare enough. The three-peat, though? It just doesn’t happen in the modern game. The last time it happened was a four-peat by the New York Islanders in 1980 through 1983. Even the vaunted Oilers of that era never managed to make it happen. The odds just simply aren’t in Tampa Bay’s favor.
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Let me know your thoughts in the comments section. Do you think the Lightning have a realistic shot at going back-to-back-to-back?
As always, thanks for reading.
Tampa Bay Lightning Blogger • 
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