After needing only 10 games to advance to their second consecutive Eastern Conference finals, it's safe to say the Tampa Bay Lightning have got something going.
Tampa Bay finished two wins shy of a championship last season, but a slow start to the season raised doubts about if the Lightning are truly among the upper echelon of NHL teams. Add the swirling rumors surrounding captain Steven Stamkos' contract situation, a chaotic saga engulfing Jonathan Drouin's reputation, and you have what could have been a disaster for Jon Cooper and Co.
Entering the playoffs without Stamkos or top-pairing defenseman Anton Stralman, the Lightning were written off by some, but as they did all year, they handled the adversity. This time with ease.
The Lightning advancing to the conference finals is proof general manager Steve Yzerman built a contender in Tampa, and this roster, no matter who's missing, is among the best in the East.
Nikita Kucherov leads the playoffs in goals with nine, while Tyler Johnson is tied for second in points with 13. The emergence of Drouin - who has nine points through 10 games - on the second line has solidified the Lightning's attack.
Defenseman Victor Hedman has been a force on the blue line, scoring nine points in 27:30 of ice time per game, while boasting a CF60 percent of 59.42 (war-on-ice).
Goaltender Ben Bishop is proving his Vezina Trophy candidacy, posting a .938 save percentage with a 1.98 goals-against average and two shutouts.
As a team, Tampa Bay is allowing the second-fewest goals per game in the playoffs (1.90), while scoring at the second-highest clip (3.00).
The thought off adding Stamkos and Stralman - though it's unclear when that could be - to a roster already firing on all cylinders spells trouble for any opponent.
Now, awaiting the Pittsburgh Penguins or the Washington Capitals, the turbulence of a hectic regular season is all but a distant memory for the Lightning.
