It was a strange year. A little more than a year ago we were stuck in uncertainty about the future after the Covid-19 outbreak. The speculation about a potential cancellation of the Stanley Cup playoffs were so prevalent that you could start believing the Tampa Bay Lightning missed their last chance to win the Cup before the upcoming cap crunch absorbed them. If someone would have said a year ago, that the Lightning would raise the Cup twice in little less than 10-month period, probably no one would believe it.
Things have turned in Lightning’s favour, not only did they win their first Stanley Cup in 16 years, but managed to keep basically the same team and went for their second-straight Cup, joining the likes of the 2016-2017 Pittsburgh Penguins or the 1997-1998 Detroit Red Wings as back-to-back champs.