The Tampa Bay Lightning won the National Hockey League (NHL) Stanley Cup two times in a row, which is a rare accomplishment. The Tampa Bay Lightning are a fan favorite around the world due to their success which comes from their excellent players and coaches.
The Tampa Bay Lightning had many wins and losses leading to the back to back Stanley Cup Championship wins. In the slightly shortened 2019-2020 season due to the Coronavirus, they won 43 games, lost 21, and lost 6 in overtime giving the Lightning 92 points and finishing 2nd in the NHL’s Atlantic Division. In the first round playoff series they easily defeated the Columbus Blue Jackets 4-1 and then the Boston Bruins 4-1 in the second round. Then in the third round it got a little harder winning against the New York Islanders 4-2. In the finals they defeated the Dallas Stars 4 games to 2 and earned their first of the back to back Stanley Cups (statscrew.com).
In the shortened 2020-2021 season again due to the Coronavirus the Lightning finished with a record 36 wins,17 losses, and 3 overtime losses and finished 3rd in the NHL’s Central Division. During the playoffs, they reached the finals by beating the Florida Panthers 4-2 (4 games won versus 2 games lost in the best of 7 series), the Carolina Hurricanes 4-1, and the New York islanders 4-3. They faced the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Finals and defeated them 4 games to 1 and earned their second of the back to back Stanley Cups (statscrew.com).
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s success can be credited to several factors. First, the team doesn’t have any holes in their lineup. They have one of the top goaltenders in the NHL, an outstanding defense especially on the left side, and many skilled forwards who could score goals. Another contributing reason for the Lightning success is due to their record during the season they were able to get home ice advantage. Lastly, the Lightning have one of the best and longest tenured coaches in the NHL (The Associated Press 2020) helping them with their success throughout the years.
In conclusion, the Lightning was the best NHL hockey team proven by their back to back Stanley Cup wins. There were many factors of their success including an excellent roster with no holes, home ice advantage, and amazing coaching.
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