With all of this being said, there’s going to be a lot of offseason soul-searching.
The Lightning are a team with a veteran core that’s been together for several years and owns a boatload of playoff experience. Since 2014-15, they’ve been to a Stanley Cup Final and lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champions in Game 7 of two different Eastern Conference Finals in 2016 and 2018. That makes this sweep at the hands of the Blue Jackets even more inexcusable and inexplicable. This is a team that continually touted their desire to learn their lesson from past mistakes and apply that this season. With an unexpected early exit, the fanbase is up in arms on social media, wanting answers and wanting heads to roll.
We know Lightning GM Julien BriseBois will face some choices for his roster due to the impending salary cap crunch. As a result of the sweep, there should probably be an evaluation of everything from top to bottom. While a lot of fans want to see Cooper fired and another voice brought in, I have a hard time seeing this happening due to Cooper signing an extension in late March. Will star players be traded? Highly unlikely.
Although with Point’s next contract looming this summer, trades to move out salary will certainly be considered. In addition, Stralman, Coburn, and Girardi, who will all be UFA’s, could all walk in free agency. If BriseBois decides to move out a middle-six or bottom-six forward, it would be probably done with the intention of freeing up cap space and/or promoting a prospect or two from the AHL. On top of that, Callahan is a strong buyout candidate with just one year left on his contract.
What will this team’s legacy be?
Following Game 4’s conclusion, Cooper spoke to the media and provided an interesting quote during his press conference:
Jon Cooper: “In the end, we just couldn’t find our game. It had been with us all year, but for six days in April, we couldn’t find it, and that’s unfortunate, because it puts a blemish on what was an incredible regular season.”
— Ryan Bass (@Ry_Bass) April 17, 2019
I’m not quite sure “blemish” is the right word for it. Let’s call a spade a spade: getting swept in the first round after winning 62 games is more than just a blemish. This loss is a deep wound that will leave a scar. When we look back on the 2018-19 Tampa Bay Lightning, the first thing we remember won’t be the numerous records set or the individual awards that are likely to be awarded. Lightning fans and sports fans will look back on this season as one of the biggest letdowns and disappointments in sports history. That’s something this team is going to have to live with.
It’s now up to the Lightning to determine how they want to be remembered.
Often compared to the 1995-96 Red Wings that also won 62 games, this edition of the Lightning could look at them as a positive historical example. Those mid-90’s Red Wings also developed a reputation for postseason shortcomings. Despite this, they bounced back from their loss to Colorado in the 1996 Western Conference Finals to win the next two Stanley Cups.
Could Tampa Bay rebound in the next couple of years and win the Cup? They could, and if they do, the 2018-19 season would be remembered as the last heartache before championship glory. This team’s window for a title is still open, but it won’t stay that way forever. Only time will tell if the Lightning can overcome their playoff demons and eventually win the second Stanley Cup in franchise history. If they don’t, the 2018-19 edition of the Bolts will be most remembered for its lost opportunity and not the numerous records set along the way.
