“I don’t get no respect,” Rodney Dangerfield famously declared. Over the years, many have quoted Dangerfield’s famous line. But it’s not just individual people that don’t necessarily get the respect they deserve; sometimes, a sports franchise might not get the respect it deserves. The Tampa Bay Lightning are a prime example of a team that truly does not get its due respect from around the National Hockey League.
A Historic Lack of Respect
Jon Cooper is the best coach in the NHL. Full stop. When the Four Nations Tournament was announced, Cooper, who is a dual citizen, was asked to coach both Team Canada and Team USA. It is just accepted around the league that he is the best coach in the game. Yet, he has never won a Jack Adams (the award given to the best coach every year).
In 2019, the Lightning tied the 1995-1996 Detroit Red Wings for the most wins in a single season with 62. When the Wings set that record 23 years earlier, their coach Scotty Bowman won the Jack Adams. But Cooper did not win it in for the Bolts’ record setting season. The league, apparently, decided that Cooper did not deserve the credit for the amazing team in front of him. Four years later, when the Boston Bruins broke that record and won 65 games, their coach, Jim Montgomery, won the Jack Adams.
Similarly, despite bringing back-to-back Stanley Cups to Tampa Bay in 2020 and 2021, Julien BriseBois has never won the Jim Gregory award for the league’s top general manager. In both of the Lightning’s Stanley Cup winning years, the award went to the GM of the team the Bolts had beaten in the Eastern Conference Final– Lou Lamoriello of the New York Islanders. The following year, when the Lightning made their third straight Stanley Cup Final appearance and ultimately lost to the Colorado Avalanche, Avalanche GM Joe Sakic took home the award.
Respect For the Season They Had
Before this season started, some prognosticators were making bold predictions that the Lightning would miss the playoffs this season for the first time since 2017. Not only did they not miss the playoffs, they were one of the best teams in the Eastern Conference.
Going into the final game of the season a few days ago, the Lightning had the exact same regulation record as the division winning Toronto Maple Leafs. Both had 41 regulation wins and 26 regulation losses. The difference between the two teams came in three on three overtime and shootouts, neither of which occurs in playoffs.
The Lightning had, by far, the best goal differential in the conference at plus 75. The next best team in the East was the Washington Capitals at plus 56. The only better team in the league was the President’s Trophy winning Winnipeg Jets at plus 86.
The Lightning scored the most goals in the entire league at 294. The next best was the Capitals at 288 and then several team from the Western Conference with 277. They were first in the East and tied for third overall for fewest opposing goals on the season with 219 (Winnipeg allowed 191, LA 206, Vegas 219).
Respect for Special Teams
The Bolts’ power play was fifth in the league during the regular season at 25.9 percent. That was the best in the Atlantic Division. The only better playoff bound team from the East was the New Jersey Devils at 28.2 percent.
For penalty killing, the Lightning ranked sixth overall in the league at a rate of 81.6 percent. The three Eastern Conference teams that finished ahead of them were the top three teams from the Metro Division. The Bolts had the best power play and the best penalty kill in the Atlantic Division.
Respecting Our Talent
For the second straight season, right winger Nikita Kucherov has won the Art Ross trophy for the most points by any player in the league. This award is not subjective. It simply goes to the player with the most points. Kucherov finished the regular season with 121 points, five more than his nearest competitor Nathan MacKinnon from Colorado. Last year, Kucherov finished with 144 points, four points ahead of MacKinnon, but it was MacKinnon who won the Hart Trophy for the league’s most valuable player. Last year, some argued that Kucherov’s defensive skills were too weak to qualify him. His plus/minus rating was just a plus 8 while MacKinnon was at plus 35. Kucherov has improved his defense this season and finished the regular season at a plus 22. MacKinnon is plus 25. Is Kucherov then the favorite for the Hart this season? Not so fast… there’s talk of awarding it to Connor Hellebuyck this year (even though goalies have their own award in the Vezina).
Speaking of the Vezina, Andrei Vasilevskiy has had a bounce-back year this year after not performing quite up to his own standards the past couple of seasons. Were it not for Hellebuyck’s spectacular season, Vasy would certainly be in top contention for the Vezina. Vasilevskiy finished the regular season in the top four of basically every goaltending category. In his 63 starts, he went 38-20-5 with six shutouts. He had a 2.18 goals against average and a save percentage of .921.
The Betting Odds
The Lightning surpass the Florida Panthers in virtually every category. They finished ahead in the standings by four points and had four more regulation wins. The Bolts scored more goals, allowed fewer goals, had better goaltending, and had the better special teams throughout the season. And yet, which team do the betting odds favor (albeit very slightly)? According to Moneypuck.com, the odds of the Florida Panthers advancing to round 2 are 51 percent while the Bolts are at 49 percent.
Just a Little Respect
The Bolts may not end up representing the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup final this year. They may not even make it out of the first round against their arch rival Florida Panthers. However, their stats from this season should most certainly have them as a favorite from the East. The best teams do not always win in the playoffs (as evidenced by the 2019 Lightning). But there is no doubt that the Lightning deserve respect throughout the league for the season they have had.
