Lightning Show Killer Instinct in Dominant Isles Series, but Can Be Even Better

May 8th, 2016 by Steve Macfarlane Leave a reply »

What makes these Tampa Bay Lightning scary is the way they step on throats.

Not literally, of course. But in today’s NHL, it is rare to see a team take it up a notch in the speed and desperation department when it gets an advantage of a couple of goals. The tendency is to drop into that “prevent” defense that too often leads to a bunch of players sitting on their heels getting blitzed by the other side’s own desperate attack.

Leads are blown, opportunities to close out a series lost.

Not these Lightning. They struck quickly and refused to slow down Sunday afternoon, knocking John Tavares and the New York Islanders out with a 4-0 win and becoming the first team to advance to the conference finals in these playoffs.

They actually seemed to get better along the way in the second-round series, winning four straight against the Isles after dropping the opening game on home ice.

Perhaps it’s the experience they gained in going to the Stanley Cup Final last spring that is driving them. Maybe it’s coach Jon Cooper’s message and the players’ belief in it.
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