The Tampa Bay Lightning have won three championships in their short history. Which teams rank in the top ten in franchise history outside those three? They have had great players from Martin St. Louis to Nikita Kucherov who brought these teams to great heights.
Which of the championship squads takes the top spot? And where do their two other Final appearances rank on the list? Let’s find out in the Tampa Bay Lightning’s top ten teams list.
Greatest Lightning team of all time: 2020-21
The second of Tampa Bay’s back-to-back titles ranks at number one on the back of a spectacular regular season and dominating playoff run. The Lightning racked up 75 points in the 56-game regular season. good enough for third in their division. Brayden Point led the way with 23 goals and 48 points while Ondrej Palat put up 31 assists. Their finish set up a matchup with the Florida Panthers.
The defending champs took down their cross-state rivals in six games. This was the first-ever playoff matchup between the teams. Tampa then dismantled Carolina in five games to set up a rematch of the previous year’s Conference Final. The Lightning were on the brink of elimination for the first time since 2019 after an Islanders’ game-six win but stifled New York in game seven to advance to the Cup Final. They beat the Canadiens in five games to lift the Cup. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
#2: 2019-20
Going back just one year, the Lightning were out for revenge after their great 2018-19 season was spoiled. They were in second place in the Atlantic Division when the season was cut short due to COVID-19. Nikita Kucherov was in the middle of another fantastic season, ending with 33 goals, 52 assists, and 85 points to lead the team.
After playing the fourth-longest game in league history, the Lightning beat the Blue Jackets in five games in the first round to advance. The Lightning toppled the two-seed Bruins in the second round and beat the Islanders to win the East. A six-game victory over Dallas secured the franchise’s second Stanley Cup. Victor Hedman edged out Brayden Point for the Conn Smythe.
#3: 2003-04
Before their modern success, the Lightning did win a championship with another trio of great forwards. Martin St. Louis, Brad Richards, and Vincent Lecavlier scored over 65 points each in the regular season to lock up first place in the Eastern Conference. St. Louis’ 94 points led the team and league, earning him the franchise’s first Most Valuable Player award.
The Lightning beat the Islanders in five and swept the Canadiens to advance to the Conference Final for the first time in franchise history. There, they ran into the third-place Philadelphia Flyers who put up more of a fight in a seven-game series. They beat the Calgary Flames to capture the Cup with Richards’ 26 points earning him the Conn Smythe.
#4: 2018-19
One of the greatest regular seasons in NHL history was spoiled by one of the greatest upsets in NHL history. The ’18-’19 Lightning racked up 128 points for a points percentage of .780, marking the then-fifth highest mark in league history. Nikita Kucherov won the Hart Trophy for Most Valuable Player with 41 goals and 128 points through the regular season.
The playoffs spelled a bitter end for the Lightning, who were swept by the Blue Jackets in the first round. After winning 62 regular season games, they won zero postseason matchups. The consecutive championships on the back end of this will make this season forgettable, but it should be remembered as a great one despite the bitter defeat.
#5: 2014-15
The first seeds of the upcoming dynasty were laid back in 2014-15. The Lightning came in second place in their division after a 108-point season. A 24-year-old Steven Stamkos led the team with 43 goals and 72 points which continued the torrid start to his career. Ben Bishop was the primary goalie as 20-year-old Vasilevskiy made his first 13 starts. Their young core took the great regular season into the playoffs.
The Lightning toppled the Red Wings in game seven, the last time Detroit was in the playoffs, and beat the Canadiens in six games to reach the Conference Final. They faced the Rangers, who won the Eastern Conference the previous year and the President’s Trophy that season. They won a fantastic game seven to win the conference. Tampa Bay lost to the Blackhawks in the Final.
#6: 2021-22
On the other side of the back-to-back Cups, the Lightning were looking to be the first team since the 1980s Islanders to win three straight Stanley Cups. They started with another great regular season with 110 points but better seasons from Florida and Toronto put them in third place in the Atlantic Division. Stamkos led the regular season with 42 goals and 106 points.
They started their title defense with a seven-game win over the Maple Leafs. The following series with the Panthers was another dominant performance, with Tampa sweeping Florida. The Lightning lost the first two games of the Conference Final to the Rangers before winning four straight to take the series. They fell short in six games against the Avalanche, cutting the three-peat short by two games.
#7: 2017-18
The ’17-’18 squad set what was then the franchise record with 113 points. 24-year-old Nikita Kucherov led the way with 100 points and earned his first first-team All-Star nod. The Lightning had the best record in the Eastern Conference and proved why early in the playoffs.
The Bolts lost a combined two games in the first two rounds, beating the Devils and Bruins in five games apiece. Their run stopped there, as they faced a hot Capitals team in the Conference Final. After taking a 3-2 lead, the Lightning got outscored 7-0 in games six and seven to lose the series,
#8: 2010-11
The most successful season that had a cross-over between the two championship squads was 20110-11. St. Louis led the team in points followed by a 20-year-old Stamkos, who had a team-high 45 goals. The Lightning finished second in their division behind the Washington Capitals.
After beating Crosby’s Penguins in game seven, they faced Ovechkin and the Capitals in round two. They lost to the Bruins in a great game seven in the Conference Final to end the run. Tampa Bay would not make the playoffs again for three seasons.
#9: 2013-14
Three seasons later, they were back with another 100-point campaign. Stamkos only played 37 games due to injury. 38-year-old St. Louis took charge, scoring 61 points before he was traded to the Rangers. Bishop is in his prime, with 37 wins in 62 games and a .924 save percentage this season.
The playoffs were not as great for the Lightning. They were swept by the Canadiens, who finished just one point below them in the Eastern Conference. Bishop was injured and did not play in the playoffs and the experience helped the core lead them to the Cup Final the following season.
#10: 2023-24
Last season was an up-and-down campaign for the Lightning. They started poorly, going 18-15-5 before New Year’s and sitting outside the playoff picture. They turned it up thanks to Nikita Kucherov’s 100-assist campaign and made the playoffs in the third spot in the Atlantic Division.
The Lightning won just one playoff game, losing to the Panthers in five. This was the first time Tampa had lost a series against the Panthers in the playoffs. The disappointing end was made worse by Stamkos’ departure in free agency.
