On the ice, the Tampa Bay Lightning finally got the equation right. After unceremoniously being removed from the playoffs last year by the Columbus Blue Jackets in an ugly 4-0 series, the Lightning found their stride in the 2020 playoffs. Perhaps it was getting all-star defenceman, Victor Hedman, back. Or perhaps it was the trade deadline depth acquisitions of Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow. Maybe it was even the fact they had much less pressure playing in Toronto with no fans around to boo their play. Either way, the Tampa Bay Lightning are Stanley Cup champions.
The Lightning got the opportunity to exercise their demons in their first series in the playoffs by playing the Blue Jackets. As a Leafs fan, I like to think we wore the Jackets down in the play-in series and this allowed the Lightning to walk over a tired Jackets team. Kucherov came to play and the Lightning moved on easily in five games. Next up were the Boston Bruins, a team I was absolutely thrilled to see be defeated by Tampa. In another 5-game series, the “Perfection Line” of the Bruins simply could not solve Tampa Bay’s resolute defence and incredible goaltending. See ya later, Boston. In the conference finals, the Islanders put up more of a fight, but ultimately lost to the Lightning. Significant scoring depth issues ultimately resulted in the undoing of the Islanders.
In the Stanley Cup Final, the Dallas Stars seemed unstoppable after beating two powerhouse teams in the Avalanche and Golden Knights. The Stars confidently won the first game and I thought that finally a Dallas team might claim a championship (not the Cowboys, but maybe this year..?). Unfortunately for the Stars, injuries and an absolutely abysmal performance by Tyler Seguin quickly derailed any hopes to win it all this year. The Lightning won Game 6 to complete their redemption story and win their first cup since 2004.
Upon returning home to Florida, a state that has made some questionable decisions regarding COVID-19, videos began to surface. On their bus ride back to the city, videos showed fans lining the streets cheering on their return. There was one thing to point out: tightly packed fans with absolutely no masks in sight. In planning for the parade, Tampa’s PR department tried to reiterate the importance of social distancing amidst the crisis. However, these plans certainly did not materialize. In his speech, Alex Killorn thanked Governor Ron DeSantis for “opening the bars just in time for the boys.” Florida has since seen a huge spike in coronavirus cases following DeSantis’ decision. To make matters worse, videos showed several Lightning players allowing random fans to drink from the Stanley Cup. Yikes.
As athletes, the guys should know that playing in the NHL is more than just playing hockey every other day. Players like Kucherov and Stamkos are role models and need to set a positive example for the hordes of fans that follow their every move. I can understand that the players are doubly excited by being able to return home to their families and to celebrate their Stanley Cup win. However, this doesn’t excuse their behaviour. As we see NBA players stand in support of the Black Lives Matter movement, I had hoped for a similar response by the Lightning in fighting COVID-19. The NHL has since reached out to the Lightning to “question some of their behaviour” during their celebration. A few nominal fines should adequately cover the dangers posed, right Gary? It was a magical season for the Bolts and it seemed like they could do no wrong. Unfortunately, they proved that they could do wrong, it simply happened after they won.