COLUMBUS, Ohio -- The Tampa Bay Lightning will be defined by their failure, swept out of the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs in the first round by a Columbus Blue Jackets team few thought had a prayer of hanging with the Presidents' Trophy winners.
That's one way to look at them.
Here's the spin the Lightning had after Tuesday night's stunning 7-3 defeat in Game 4 of the first round: They were victims of their own success.
The Lightning had 128 points in the regular season, with a points percentage of .780, the second-highest rate for an 82-game season in NHL history, behind only the 1995-96 Detroit Red Wings (.