VinikToWinIt
Number 1 Bull****
A brief, baffling history:
On their 2020 path to the Cup, the Lightning went 6-2 in OT, capping off a 14-4 playoff OT run dating back many years.
On their 2021 path to the Cup, they went 16-7 overall, but their OT fortunes had changed - 0-4 in OT.
In 2022, they were eliminated by the Avs in 6, losing 2 games in OT - the ultimate difference in the series.
In 2023, they were eliminated by the Leafs in 6, losing 3 games in OT - the ultimate difference in the series.
This year, they are an unsurprising 0-1 in OT so far.
For those keeping score at home, the Lightning have lost their last 6 OTs, and an abysmal 1-11 in their last 12. Their lone OT win since 2020 was in the first round in 2022.
So far, it has cost them a SCF and a potential run last year, and this year it looks like nothing has changed. What's going on with this team? Is it a regression to the mean from their prior hot steak? A coaching problem? A personnel problem? A mental issue? Bad luck?
Their OT performance has been so poor, I think it deserves its own discussion.
On their 2020 path to the Cup, the Lightning went 6-2 in OT, capping off a 14-4 playoff OT run dating back many years.
On their 2021 path to the Cup, they went 16-7 overall, but their OT fortunes had changed - 0-4 in OT.
In 2022, they were eliminated by the Avs in 6, losing 2 games in OT - the ultimate difference in the series.
In 2023, they were eliminated by the Leafs in 6, losing 3 games in OT - the ultimate difference in the series.
This year, they are an unsurprising 0-1 in OT so far.
For those keeping score at home, the Lightning have lost their last 6 OTs, and an abysmal 1-11 in their last 12. Their lone OT win since 2020 was in the first round in 2022.
So far, it has cost them a SCF and a potential run last year, and this year it looks like nothing has changed. What's going on with this team? Is it a regression to the mean from their prior hot steak? A coaching problem? A personnel problem? A mental issue? Bad luck?
Their OT performance has been so poor, I think it deserves its own discussion.