The NHL playoffs look different from last season and that’s because the Atlantic Division is being represented by three different teams from last season.
One of the teams who finished on the outside looking in was the Tampa Bay Lightning, After finishing 2nd in the Atlantic with 97 points last season, the Lightning failed to make the playoff this season after finishing one-point out of the final spot in the Eastern Conference with 94 points.
On Wednesday, Lightning owner Jeff Vinik took out a full page ad in the Tampa Bay Times to thank the fans with a heartfelt letter.
It’s not very often that you find yourself missing the playoffs after finishing 12 games above .500 with 94 total points, but this was just one of those years in the NHL.
A lot of the Lightning’s top players dealt with the injuries this season, so the fan base should still remain optimistic despite missing out on the playoffs for the first time since the 2012-13 season.
(H/T r/hockey)
