When looking back at the Tampa Bay Lightning’s journey over the last eight months, it’s difficult to put a lot of it into words. That may be why it’s taken this long to gather our thoughts and address their Game 6 loss on Monday night in Chicago. It still hurts and it will for quite some time. The more we’re removed from the experience the easier it is to look at this insane adventure with more perspective. This team did some pretty incredible things all year long. Fans may not be celebrating a championship parade today but the story isn’t over for this group. The best is yet to come for the Lightning and the rest of the league should be on guard.
It’s cliché at this point but no one expected the Bolts to get that far. They were a young, inexperienced team that needed to show their 2013-14 season wasn’t a fluke. After an 82 game season they stood near the top of the East. After besting three storied Original Six teams they became Conference Champions. Tyler Johnson rewrote franchise records. Ben Bishop stood tall despite dealing with injury. They battled and persevered. They learned just how much needs to be sacrificed to win the Stanley Cup.
“There’s a lot to be proud of and I know it’s still fresh, and even for me will take some time to get over, but I think in a couple of weeks when you get back to the training regiment and offseason, it will sink in that this was a special year,’’ captain Steven Stamkos said.
There’s a lot of hope to be found despite this defeat. This group of guys will remain largely intact next year. They’re committed to playing for each other and winning for each other. What they’re feeling right now will gnaw at them as they start training this summer. They will be driven to get back to the Stanley Cup Final and change the ending of the story. Watching another team win may be the best thing that could have happened to this group. They will gain a mental maturity. To win the Cup players must be made of steel and have an iron will. Thanks to the Blackhawks the Bolts know just what that looks like.
Ben Bishop was essentially playing on one leg. Tyler Johnson, their deadliest post season sniper, was hampered with a broken wrist. And those are just the injuries that have been made public. Despite those obstacles, the Lightning kept the Stanley Cup Final remarkably close. Early on in the run Jon Cooper said maybe the Bolts were too young and dumb to truly understand what they were up against in the post season. They understand that now and the rest of the league should be very afraid.
(Feature Photo/Getty Images)
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