The Tampa Bay Lightning might not be the top team in the Atlantic Division, but they are a sneaky favorite heading into the Stanley Cup Playoffs. While they still haven’t officially clinched a playoff berth, the Lightning are right on the cusp.
Entering their meeting with the Buffalo Sabres, the Lightning have a couple of scenarios that would seal their spot in the 2025 Stanley Cup Playoffs. If they get at least one point against the Sabres, the Lightning will clinch their eight straight playoff appearance.
The Lightning don’t even need to win: just a simple overtime point will be enough. If they lose in regulation, however, not all hope is lost. They can still clinch a spot if one of two scenarios occurs around the league.
Any outcome between the New York Rangers and New Jersey Devils that is not a Rangers regulation win will be enough for the Lightning. This game will be played in the afternoon, meaning the Lightning could already have a seat at the playoff table when they hit the ice in Buffalo.
If the Rangers do win in regulation and the Lightning lose to the Sabres, a Montreal Canadiens loss to the Philadelphia Flyers in regulation will also be beneficial for Tampa Bay.
The Lightning will have plenty of scoreboard watching to do, but they should be confident in their chances. They can control their own fate against the struggling Sabres, who are staring down their 14th straight postseason absence.
Nikita Kucherov has been the Lightning’s biggest standout player with 33 goals and 78 assists for the second-highest point total in the NHL at 111.
Brayden Point and newcomer Jake Guentzel have led the Lightning in goals, knotted at 38 each.
Superstar goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has been as solid as ever in 2024-25, appearing in a league-leading 59 games with a 36-20-3 record.
After back-to-back first round exits, the Lightning are hopeful they can get back to what made them such a special team over the last decade, and that’s deep playoff runs.
