Um… What the heck is going on with the Tampa Bay Lightning?
Three games into the playoffs and the President Trophy winners are already at jeopardy of getting knocked out of the playoffs. After leading the league with a remarkable 319 goals, T-Bay has scored just five goals in the postseason and have been outscored by Columbus 12-5. Jackets head coach John Tortorella has his fellas firing at all cylinders and everyone in Tampa Bay knows it, including one of its bigger newspaper outlets. The Tampa Bay Times used a rather… unique headline the day after the Bolts’ 3-1 loss to the Blue Jackets.
Speaking of that ‘Torturella’ guy… he was pretty fired up after CBJ clinched their game 3 victory.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper, on the other hand, knows the series is still far from over. The pressure’s on, however, because another loss would help the team make history for all of the wrong reasons. Tampa is on the verge of becoming the 7th President’s Trophy winning team to be knocked out in the first round AND the first to ever be swept in the first round.
Buckle up hockey fans, because Tuesday night’s game is going to be a wild one.
(H/T u/Jay_Dubbbs/r/Hockey)