The Columbus Blue Jackets completed a stunning four-game, first-round sweep over the historically dominant Tampa Bay Lightning in front of a raucous home crowd on Tuesday night.
While those inside Nationwide Arena reacted with hugs and cheers, many onlookers chimed in on social media to offer their takes on perhaps the biggest postseason upset in NHL history.
Many simply expressed their disbelief:
STUNNED!!! Get the brooms out. RIP up your brackets!!!
— Kathryn Tappen (@KathrynTappen) April 17, 2019
Congrats to the @BlueJacketsNHL on a MAJOR UPSET and earning the first ever playoff series win in franchise history. #Round2
Most shocking result in playoff history? Columbus wins its first-ever series, sweeping the 62-win Lightning.
— Elliotte Friedman (@FriedgeHNIC) April 17, 2019
The Tampa Bay Lightning haven’t lost 3 games in a row all season until the playoffs where they just lost 4 in a row and were eliminated immediately.
— Adam Fletcher (@PezRadar) April 17, 2019
A President’s Trophy winner has never been swept in the first round until now.
Just wow...
The tampa bay lightning, a team who posted one of the absolute best regular season records in the modern era, got swept in a bo7 versus a team who has never won a playoff series IN THE ENTIRE HISTORY OF THE FRANCHISE (nearly two decades)
— Foxdrop (@Foxdroplol) April 17, 2019
WHAT
I was dead wrong about the Blue Jackets. I am stunned right now. I thought this Tampa Bay team would win the whole damn thing honestly. Good for Columbus. This is awesome.
— Jordan Strack (@JordanStrack) April 15, 2019
Some - including the Blue Jackets themselves - couldn't wait to crack jokes at the Lightning's expense:
just a little spring cleaning pic.twitter.com/I5nrQLyDxT
— x-Columbus Blue Jackets (@BlueJacketsNHL) April 17, 2019
Just going to leave this here @TBLightning pic.twitter.com/UWbrsyicDh
— Brian Chojnacki (@BroadcastingBri) April 17, 2019
The Tampa Bay Lightning pic.twitter.com/beiNxqT8s6
— Pete Blackburn (@PeteBlackburn) April 17, 2019
Tampa Bay Lightning: tie for best regular season in history. 😎@BlueJacketsNHL: "Hold my beer..."#NHL #StanleyCup
— Kevin Gamble (@kevingamble) April 17, 2019
THE TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING WILL WIN THE STANLEY CUP...next season
— Cameron Magruder (@ScooterMagruder) April 17, 2019
NJD have had a way better post-season than TBL #NHL #draftlottery
— Jeff Paterson (@patersonjeff) April 17, 2019
And after Columbus went all-in at the trade deadline, many were just happy to see the Blue Jackets' efforts pay off with the franchise's first-ever playoff series win:
So the team that faced no adversity in the regular season just got SWEPT by a team who’s season was defined by it. I’m so here for it. #CBJ
— Jackie Redmond (@Jackie_Redmond) April 17, 2019
Good for Columbus. Went all in. Paid off. Stunning.
— Stephen (@StephenCLorenzo) April 17, 2019
Tired: trading away your first round pick to go deep in the playoffs
— Catherine Silverman (@catmsilverman) April 17, 2019
Wired: trading away every draft pick for the next five years to upset the best team in the last decade in the playoffs
So pumped for the Blue Jackets and especially Kekalainen. Everyone thought they’d trade Panarin and/or Bobrovsky and rebuild. Instead, the dude goes all in and gets Duchene and Dzingel and just swept one of the best regular season teams of all time. Good to see that rewarded!!!
— Jordan Romano (@jtromano) April 17, 2019
The best part about the Blue Jackets’ sweep is that maybe, just maybe, it will inspire other GMs to pull a Kekalainen and go wild at future trade deadlines.
— Jared Clinton (@THNJaredClinton) April 17, 2019
