The 2017-18 NHL regular season could not be going better for the Tampa Bay Lightning. Only 18 games in and they have already acquired 30 points, which is a league-best to this point. With a 14-2-2 record, the Bolts are playing as good on the road as they are at home, 7-1-1 in both cases.
On top of an impressive overall team performance, the Bolts are also witnessing some spectacular things from individual players. Both Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov have reached the 30-point mark with Stamkos leading the league in points with 31 and Kucherov leading the NHL in goals with 16. In addition, there are two players who are almost at the 20-point mark for the season, Vladislav Namestnikov with 19 and Brayden Point with 17.
With all of these great things taking place within the Tampa Bay Lightning organization, it is hard to argue that this team is not for real. However, as I wander through the land of hockey Twitter, I still notice some doubters. Now with social media being what it is, you know that you're always going to bump into your traditional "hater" who will make ridiculous claims just because of their distaste for a particular team. Still, not everything I'm reading involving disbelief in this team is coming from those kinds of sources. There are some people out there that truly believe that Tampa Bay will not be able to maintain this level of play throughout this season's entirety.
Now, being able to maintain this level of success throughout the duration of the 2017-18 season does not mean the Lightning are going to gobble up 30 points every 18 games. There are obviously going to be times throughout the season where Tampa experiences its "low points". Even the top teams in the league go on losing streaks from time to time.
However, barring major injuries, the Bolts have shown no signs as to why they will not be the Presidents' Trophy winners at the end of the year and a favorite to win Lord Stanley's Cup. Looking at this team, there are obviously areas they can improve. That is the case with all team's however. Even when the titans known as Stamkos and Kucherov have their off games, and it will happen, there are other members of this roster who can be counted on to fill the void.
As a hockey fan, it is your right to cheer for and against whichever team you want. Although someone may not want the Tampa Bay Lightning to be the NHL's best team, it is foolish to deny that reality.
Yes, this was one of my more "ranting" posts but I believe those are okay from time to time. What the Lightning have been able to accomplish so far this season should not go unnoticed and I am looking forward to continued greatness from this franchise for the remainder of this season.