With just 15 regular season games remaining, the Tampa Bay Lightning are embarking on another quest to capture the Stanley Cup. At the moment, the Lightning find themselves in a tight race for the Atlantic Division. They currently trail the Buffalo Sabers by four points, despite having played two fewer games which is a crucial advantage as they head into the home stretch. Meanwhile, the Bolts also sit six points behind the Carolina Hurricanes for first place in the Eastern Conference. Six points do not make it out of reach, but every upcoming game is vital if they want to make up the six point deficit in order to grab home ice advantage in the Eastern Conference.
The recent Winter Olympics break could prove beneficial,
especially for those players who didn’t participate. For those who stayed
behind, it was a chance to rest their bodies and clear their minds. On the flip
side, for those who played in the Olympics, one can hope there won’t be a hangover
factor after playing high-intensity hockey on an international stage and then returning back action with little or no rest.
As the playoff picture starts to take shape, the players’
health is vital. Whenever a player gets checked hard or leaves the ice
hurt, it draws a collective breath from the fans. Now is not the time to lose someone to a long term injury. The difference
between a deep playoff run and another early exit often relies to who’s still standing.
The hope is for the Lightning to finish the season strong and get some sort of home ice advantage. Hopefully the Lightning finally
break their three-year streak of disappointing first-round exits, and capture
their fourth Stanley Cup. The Bolts have been there before. It’s time for them to
do it again.
No comments:
Post a Comment