Today, the Columbus Blue Jackets officially began the 2020 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. Whether you want to count the Qualifying Round or not (the NHL does not, but does count them for stats reasons, which makes absolutely no sense), the chase for the hardest trophy to win in sports is officially underway.
Lining up opposite the Blue Jackets is a familiar foe: the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite the Blue Jackets losing their only regular season matchup 2-1 in overtime back in February (over six months ago, as this article is written), everyone remembers what happened in spring 2019: the historically great President’s Trophy winning Lightning were swept out of the playoffs by a plucky, upstart Columbus Blue Jackets squad.