The Tampa Bay Lightning have set the standard for winning Stanley Cups in recent years. They captured back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021, plus had many other deep playoff runs over the past decade. Some other great seasons include the 2014-15 team that reached the Stanley Cup Final but ultimately lost to the Chicago Blackhawks. Furthermore, two conference final losses in 2015-16 and 2017-18, where the Lightning lost to the eventual Stanley Cup champion both times.
However, the most under-appreciated team of the past decade is the 2021-22 Lightning squad. This team reached the Stanley Cup Final for a third straight year but fell to the Colorado Avalanche in six games. The Bolts had fantastic individual stat lines and underlying numbers in the regular season and playoffs. I believe they deserve more credit for their efforts that season.
The Lightning Were Not Rested Heading Into the 2021-22 Season
Teams who fail to reach the Stanley Cup Playoffs have longer offseasons versus those who go on deep playoff runs. For the Lightning’s sake, they had just won back-to-back Stanley Cups, meaning they played an additional 48 games over the two years prior. That’s more than half a season of play in the most grueling and tiresome hockey environment known to man. Regardless, the Lightning still managed to make the playoffs comfortably.
With a regular season record of 51-23-8, the team finished third in a stacked Atlantic Division. Tampa Bay had some wear and tear from the recent playoff runs, which showed in the standings. After all, the team finished in the top two of the division each year from 2018-20. However, the Lightning showed up when it mattered the most, coming out on top in the Eastern Conference for the third consecutive season. Before discussing the playoff run, what were some stellar stat lines during the regular season?
Standout Individual Performers in 2021-22 for the Lightning
For those who may have forgotten, superstar winger Nikita Kucherov missed roughly half of the 2021-22 season due to injury. Despite missing time, Kucherov was still off the charts when healthy. He recorded 25 goals and 69 points in 47 games, good enough for a 1.47 points per game pace. With an injury to the team’s top forward, opportunities opened throughout the lineup, and the Lightning’s other stars had career years.
Starting with Steven Stamkos, he eclipsed the 100-point plateau for the only time in his career, having his best season in a decade since his 60-goal performance in 2011-12. He was lights out for the Bolts, notching 42 goals and 43 primary assists for 106 points in 82 games. This total was tied for sixth in the NHL for points that season.
Moving to the back end, Swedish defender Victor Hedman had a career year. He set a career-high in goals and points on the blue line, reaching 20 goals for the first time. His 20-goal and 85-point standout season remains his best performance to date. Moreover, his possession numbers were flawless, posting a 54.13% shots for percentage (SF%) and 54.35% expected goals for percentage (xGF%) via EvolvingHockey at 5-on-5. Hedman finished third in defensive point scoring behind Roman Josi and Cale Makar.
The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs
The 2022 Stanley Cup Playoff run was even more impressive than the regular season. It started with a come-from-behind series win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in Round 1. Tampa Bay followed that up by sweeping the Presidents’ Trophy winners, the Florida Panthers, knocking the top two Atlantic teams off the top of the mountain. Then, they erased a 2-0 series deficit to a red-hot New York Rangers team led by Igor Shesterkin before losing in the Final to Colorado.
Kucherov led the team in scoring with 14 primary assists and 27 points in 23 games, ranking fourth amongst all skaters in the playoffs. Furthermore, Stamkos and Hedman finished with 19 points each in 23 games. However, the surprise performer was Kucherov’s complementary piece, Ondrej Palat, who scored 11 goals and 21 points in 23 games for the Bolts. The Lightning played quality hockey throughout the playoffs with an expected goals for percentage (xGF%) of 51.82%. Just imagine, this team could’ve won three straight Stanley Cups.
Closing Thoughts
When putting the 2021-22 season into context for the Lightning, this was one of the most underrated teams of their historic decade filled with championships and deep playoff runs. This team was inches from a three-peat, which would’ve been the first since the New York Islanders in the early 1980s. Considering they had minimal rest and their best player missed half the season, this Lightning team put on a show, and they deserve more recognition in the public sphere. However, fans have plenty to look forward to with the 2024-25 NHL season right around the corner.
