We're going to have to agree to disagree that what you do late in the regular season leading up to the playoffs is meaningless, whether you're a record setting President's Trophy winner or an 8 seed. Practice makes perfect. If you're not trying to perfect your play late in the season you're doing it wrong.
Imagine that instead of 82 games you need to run an 82 miles distance. If you try to perfect your speed over the first mile you would not be able to finish even that 1st mile.
So, its not about a perfection. Its about an optimal speed that allow you to finish in top16 runners. And Tampa's optimal "speed" is the best in the league.
Bolts = 1.6 points per game, Flames = 1.4 points per game. This is 0.2 "miles per hour" advantage over the 2nd runner.
The higher your "speed" the more energy you spend the less energy left (for the playoff). Therefore, Tampa actually needs
to decrease the current "speed". To get only 1 point lead instead of 13 by the end of the season. That's the optimal solution.