Tampa Bay Lightning on Pace for Rare Feat in Major North American Sports

It is really only fitting that in southwest Florida on Saturday night there was wind, significant rain, thunder and heaps of lightning. This component of the region isn’t really necessarily identified for producing excellent ice hockey expertise, but Tampa is surely generating some wonderful ice hockey champions of late.

Lovers of the Tampa Bay Lightning flocked to Amalie Arena in shorts and hockey sweaters to enjoy their hometown Lightning defeat the New York Rangers, 2-1, to shut out Video game 6 of the Jap Conference Closing.

The Tampa Bay Lightning go on to the Stanley Cup Finals for a third-consecutive time, this time to facial area the Colorado Avalanche, who swept the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Meeting Remaining.

The Lightning are two-time defending Stanley Cup champs, defeating the Dallas Stars in six video games all through the 2020 COVID-delayed season, and then the Lightning put absent the Montreal Canadiens in five games in 2021.

Should the Lightning acquire hockey’s title once more, they will be the initially NHL crew to elevate the Stanley Cup in a few-straight seasons since the New York Islanders did it four several years in a row from 1980-83. Only 5 groups have at any time won the Stanley Cup 3 or additional consecutive seasons in the previous 100 several years.

The Toronto Maple Leafs did it in the 1947-49 seasons, adopted by the Montreal Canadiens (1956-60), Toronto (1962-64), Montreal (1976-79) and the aforementioned New York Islanders.

The Lightning would be the first workforce this century to elevate the Cup 3-consecutive a long time must they gain. But producing a three-peat is rarity within alone for important sports in North The united states. Just request Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who’s won seven Super Bowl Rings, but hardly ever a few in a row.

No NFL staff has gained a few-straight Super Bowls, but 8 groups have received it again-to-back again, the very last being the Brady-led New England Patriots in the 2003 and 2004 seasons.

The last time a Big League Baseball workforce experienced a a few-peat was the New York Yankees, beginning in 1998 and ending in 2000. The final 3-peat prior to them was the Oakland A’s just about 30 many years earlier from 1972-74. In advance of then? The Yankees in the 1950s.

The NBA has the most latest 3-peat, which was the Kobe Bryant-led Los Angeles Lakers in the 2000, 2001 and 2002 Finals. Just before that was a pair of a few-peats by Michael Jordan and Chicago Bulls from 1991-93 and 1996-98. In advance of that was a lengthy run by the Boston Celtics in the 1960s.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are on speed to defy record really should they gain their next series, but they are going to have to do it in opposition to the Avalanche, who have gained two Stanley Cups in only two attempts.

The ideal-of-7 Stanley Cup collection starts Wednesday evening in Colorado, with the puck dropping at 8 p.m. ET. The game can be seen on ABC or ESPN Additionally. Sport 2 will be Saturday in Denver prior to it shifts again to Tampa for Video game 3 the following Monday.