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Five reasons why Lightning can three-peat and five why they won't |
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The Tampa Bay Lightning could earn the dynasty label if they could win a third consecutive Stanley Cup championship. Undoubtedly, the Lightning have enough talent to do it. But the Lightning understand, better than most, that talent isn't enough.
They are not the favorite. According to DraftKings, the Colorado Avalanche are the odds favorites (+475). The Lightning are second at (+700). Here is an overview of Tampa Bay's true chances of winning a third title:
Five reasons why the Tampa Bay Lightning can three-peat
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy is the NHL's best goalie: He makes the spectacular look routine. He's so steady, dependable and consistent that it's challenging not to take him for granted.
2. Core players still in Tampa: While the Lightning lost name players, they still have Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Steve Stamkos up and a veteran defense led by Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh. Hedman has won 81 playoff games in his career and McDonagh has played in 162 postseason games.
3. BriseBois has managerial magic: Julien BriseBois never received the credit he deserves for the Lightning's recent success. While it true that Steve Yzerman drafted much of the talent, BriseBois is the guy who provided the Lightning with the guys who made the team harder to play against. He has been creative in finding legal ways to beat the salary cap system.
4. Jon Cooper is prototype coach: In the modern NHL, a coach needs to be a team psychologist, a tactician, a master communicator and a motivational speaker. Cooper is all of those things. He certainly will convince the Lightning they are capable of winning three titles in a row.
5. Injury news is good: Hedman had knee surgery on July 13 and he says he will be 100% ready for the start of the season. That's important because he is the team's fire starter on the back end. Alex Killorn (broken fibula) said he will also be ready by the team's opener.
Five reasons why the Tampa Bay Lightning won't three-peat
1. Depth is eroded. The line of Barclay Goodrow, Yanni Gourde and Blake Coleman is scattered around the NHL. Tyler Johnson is in Chicago. Luke Schenn is in Vancouver. The Lightning have overflowing skill, but depth has been crucial to their success.
2. Other teams are improving: The Florida Panthers are knocking at the door. The New York Islanders took steps to make them more dangerous in the playoffs. The Carolina Hurricanes should be improved. The Boston Bruins are right there.
3. History says three-peat is long shot: No team has won three in a row since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83. Those great 1980s Edmonton Oilers teams couldn't do it. Mario Lemieux's 1990s Penguins and Sidney Crosby's 2016 and 2017 Penguins couldn't get it done. The reason why it has not been done in 38 years is the difficulty of the challenge. It requires a high level of consistency and an equal amount of luck.
4. Offense could decline: With Nikita Kucherov injured, the Lightning ranked eighth in goals per game last season. They have lost a potential 50+ goals this offseason. We are used to seeing near the Lightning near the top of the goal scoring list. They might fall out of the top 10 in scoring in 2021-22.
5. Not enough tread on the tires? : This group has played a lot of hockey. Mentally and physical that has to be taxing. Wear and tear is always a factor for a team winning multiple championships.
Blogger •HHOF Writer's column on the NHL • 
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