This Tampa Bay Lightning Team Reminds me of Someone…
The Tampa Bay Lightning finished last season with 62 wins out of 82. Read that again slowly, because it is indisputably one of the single most dominant NHL campaigns EVER. That’s 3 of every 4 games chalked up in the win column. A feat only ever duplicated by the famed Detroit Red Wings teams of the mid-90’s who themselves put up 62 ‘W’s. Just like this current Lightning squad, that Detroit team was downright stacked! But the strange connection between these two historic teams doesn’t stop with having great players and winning a whole lot.

Just like those seemingly invincible Tampa Bay Lightning, the ’95 Red Wings proved to be far from it. Dropping out of the playoffs that year (albeit in a much less um… humiliating fashion) in the conference final to the eventual champion, the Colorado Avalanche. Under performing and winning just two games against the team they had beaten in both meetings during the regular season, including a 7–0 drubbing at the Joe Louis Arena in Detroit. Last year’s Lightning had a similar control over their eventual conquerors the Columbus Blue Jackets also going perfect against them in the season and just like Detroit had a blowout win at home 8–2 against them early in the season.
The harder you look at these two teams record tying seasons the more you can find in common. Both had goalies with Vezina calibre seasons, Tampa’s Vasilevskiy actually won the trophy, Detroit’s Osgood finished runner-up behind Domink Hasek. Both net-minders struggled early in the year following the 62 win run as Detroit gave up decisively more shots, chances and goals than they had the year before and though this 2019 season is only a month old, the Lightning are second to last in chances given up and Vasilevskiy is far from anyone’s way too early Vezina shortlist.
How about that Swedish, Norris trophy winning defenceman who is great on the power play and can log 20+ minutes in his sleep? Victor Hedman or Nicklas Lidstrom?
Or that crafty and speedy Russian winger leading the team in goals and notching over 100 points? Could be Nikita Kucherov, could be Sergei Federov
Finally the big Canadian scoring centre who captains the team and has an amazing slap-shot — they even have the same first name for crying out loud! ‘Steve’ Stamkos and Yzerman respectfully.
The two seasons seem to be downright perfect mirror images of each other.
So how did the story end?
The Red Wings recharged and won back to back Stanley Cups in 1997 and 1998.
I’m not saying that’s a prediction for the Tampa Bay Lightning — I’m just saying it would fit the script.


