| Lightning are closer to history-making milestone |
| It wasn't long ago that pundits were wondering what was wrong with Andrei Vasilevskiy. Now, the Lightning have won six straight games, escaping the verge of elimination against Toronto, and people are again discussing Vasilevskiy's place among the game's all-time great goaltenders. After Vasilevskiy's 49-save effort, and his sixth shutout in his last seven series-clinching games, the Lightning are back in a familiar place: off to the Eastern Conference final. And they are halfway to their season-long goal of making history as the first team in nearly four decades to win three straight Stanley Cups. In the process, the Lightning have beaten two great teams in the Leafs and Panthers, both still striving to get over the hump like Tampa Bay has. Experience matters. This Lightning team has been through it all, losing in the Cup final in 2015 and Game 7 disappointments in the conference final in 2016 and 2018 before getting swept by Columbus in the first round after winning the Presidents' Trophy in 2019. "Trust me, it's painful, but you take a little bit and learn, and including myself," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "I've learned and this team's learned." They haven't lost a playoff series since, winning 10 straight. They want 12 straight, which will allow them to lift the Cup once again. They've found "the recipe" to winning in the playoffs, and it comes down to defense. They held a Florida team that averaged 4.11 goals a game to three goals in the entire four-game series. And when you have No. 88 in the net, you always have a chance. |
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