Tampa Bay Lightning

Will the Lightning Make the Playoffs?
April 4, 2017, 11:43 AM ET [24 Comments]
John Gove
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With four games remaining in the regular season, the Tampa Bay Lightning find themselves four points behind the final wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference. That makes tonight's matchup against the Boston Bruins, the current holders of that wild-card spot, the most important game of the season. Win it, and the Lightning are still very much in the playoff race. Lose tonight and Tampa Bay's chances making the postseason are pretty much over, although not mathematically so.

Over the past few weeks, we have spent so much time focussing on individual games and what it will take to keep the Lightning "in the hunt". Now that there is less than a week left in the regular season, it is time to focus on the big question that consumes everyone involved with the Bolts in some capacity...

Will the Lightning make the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs?

I must preface my answer by saying that Tampa Bay has been incredibly impressive down the stretch, playing their best hockey when everybody was ready to leave them for dead. When you look at all the trials and tribulations the Bolts have faced this season, it is unbelievable that this team finds themselves in the current position they are in.

Unfortunately, the Tampa Bay Lightning are going to fall just short of the postseason this year. To put it simply, too much needs to go right in order for them to get in. Not only do they essentially have to win out, they need some other things to go their way as well. Either the Maple Leafs, Bruins, or Senators need to experience an immediate fall from grace and I just don't see that happening.

The Ottawa Senators have been stumbling down the standings recently and were the team I saw as the most likely for the Lightning to pass. However, they got an incredibly important point in their overtime loss against the lowly Red Wings and arguably have the easiest remaining schedule. The Bruins and the Maple Leafs have shown no signs of slowing down. Still Tampa Bay gets to play both of them which could help them gain some ground.

Four points is a lot of ground to make up when you only have four games to do it and you have three other teams fighting for their playoff lives. The Lightning will do all they can to stay in it but I, unfortunately, see the final game against the Sabres being a meaningless one.

Although pessimism has ruled this piece, I must stress that the Lightning are not out of it as you read this. However, the task will just prove to be too much when it is all said and done.