Three-Peat in Sight, Tampa Bay Lightning Face Tough Test

“One of the things we talk about, not only this year, but the year before, is why other teams don’t get back there,” said Jon Cooper, who has coached the Lightning since 2013 and guided them through this remarkable streak. “Is it just enough that you got your name on the Cup, you exhale and it’s OK, you get a few mulligans for the next couple of years?”

With two championships in tow, the Lightning players could have exhaled in the final 10 minutes against Toronto. They could have taken mulligans after falling behind, two games to none, in the Eastern Conference finals against the Rangers, and stopped summoning that added effort on every shift, so necessary to win at the highest level.

Similar thoughts of satisfaction and capitulation may have derailed other successful teams as they approached roadblocks on the path to a three-peat. The Lightning, so far, have chosen a road that could lead directly to their dynastic ambitions.

Article source: https://www.nytimes.com/2022/06/15/sports/hockey/stanley-cup-preview-lightning-avalanche.html