The Tampa Bay Lightning Hate To Lose And Have Remarkable Resilience

TORONTO, ON – MAY 4: Victor Hedman #77 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates his goal against the … [+] Toronto Maple Leafs with teammates Steven Stamkos #91, Alex Killorn #17 and Nikita Kucherov #86 during the first period in Game Two of the First Round of the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs at the Scotiabank Arena on May 4, 2022 in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)

NHLI via Getty Images

A team has to be resilient in order to win a pair of Stanley Cups within a period of a little more than nine months, and amid a virus and the many protocols that went along with it.

The Tampa Bay Lightning supplied the ultimate example of team resilience during their Cup runs in 2020 and 2021.

They were championships highlighted in part by how the Bolts refused to lose two games in a row, something it had 15 chances to do starting in the Toronto bubble two summers ago.

After losing Game 4 of last year’s Cup final in Montreal, the Lightning certainly were not going to lose Game 5 in front of the home fans at raucous Amalie Arena, a fanbase that could not see their team hoist Lord Stanley’s chalice the year before in the Edmonton bubble, were they?

They did not, and the string of quick bounce backs was extended to 16 on Wednesday night and in rather emphatic fashion when Jon Cooper’s boys charged out to a 5-1 lead in an eventual 5-3 victory to even their first-round series against Toronto at a game apiece.

It seemed like if the streak was going to end, Wednesday evening was going to be it. After all, it was all Leafs every which way in a series opener that was not nearly as close as the 5-0 final.

Alas, the Lightning, led by a veteran group that does not get too high or too low during games and during series, likely began looking forward to turning the tables by the time they arrived back at the hotel.

“We take it personal,” said Victor Hedman, who opened the scoring in Game 2 with three seconds remaining in the first period, the first of his playoff-best four points. “That’s the bottom line. If you lose two in a row in the playoffs, it is never good since it is first to four.”

Fourteen players who were with the Lightning for the bubble boys 2020 Cup run are members of the current squad. Hedman, Steven Stamkos, Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat have pulled on the Lightning jersey, and only the Lightning jersey, in careers that have spanned at least a decade. Nikita Kucherov is right behind them and, the likes of Ryan McDonagh and Corey Perry, 29 seasons of NHL service between them, know a few things about accountability and keeping the chin up.

“What does it take to bounce back like that?” Cooper asked after Game 2. “It takes character. You have to have that in your room. They’re aware of situations and you have to tip your hat to those guys. To lose a playoff game and then the next night go in and say, ‘We’re not losing this one.’ You’ve got a really good chance of winning the Stanley Cup if you can do that, not lose two in a row.”

The Lightning may very well lose two in a row to the long-starved Maple Leafs. Who knows? They may not win another game and find themselves making plans that have nothing to do with a shot at becoming the first team to win three Cups in a row since the New York Islanders (1980-83) won four straight.

It would be foolish to bet on that happening, though, especially with the aforementioned core group and a world-class goaltender who repeatedly makes 10-bell saves when his team needs him most.

Carelessness at times this season put Andrei Vasilevskiy in position to where he had to save the day, and one or two points in the process. The Lightning do not want to have to go down that road. That said, if there was even a chance of any question about their goaltender after Game 1, well, his glove hand had the answer.

“He’s a pretty proud guy,” said Cooper.

As is every member of the team. It is something that cannot be measured, but has been all too apparent.