We all know what today is, Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. It’s also Monday, and the last two times the Tampa Bay Lightning played a Cup Final game on Monday, they brought home the trophy with them. Tonight, the Lightning will try to make it three road victories out of four on a Monday (Tampa won Game 3 and lost Game 6 in 2015 to Chicago, both games on Monday and both on the road).
2004: Won the Cup on a Monday
2020: Won the Cup on Monday
2021: 👀
— Jared Kight (@Jarebear81787) July 3, 2021
I know the Lightning have never technically won the Cup at home, (except for 2004, please forgive out oversite…JG) but it would be real nice to sweep the Habs. The Habs have been talking big, so it would be nice to send them off with another six goals. Beat them in their own building, make it a joke that they were even there, put a gold stamp on this era of the team.
Jeff Petry with a great answer when asked if the Canadiens are motivated to keep the Lightning from raising the Stanley Cup in Montreal.
“We don’t want to see the Tampa Bay Lightning with the Stanley Cup at all.”
— Nick Cotsonika (@cotsonika) July 4, 2021
New-old friend Kyle Alexander is back with his first blog post in a while. Underestimate Tyler Johnson at your own risk. The guy’s still got it, and he’s putting on a show in what are probably his last games with the team. [Raw Charge]
“But here Tyler Johnson is anyway, scoring meaningful goals in another Stanley Cup Final, the third of his career with the Tampa Bay Lightning. He scored two goals in a decisive 6-3 victory in Game 3 at the Bell Centre, twice quieting a raucous Montreal crowd that made many rightfully question whether it was really only 3,500 fans in attendance.”
There’s been a lot of talk about blowing up this version of the Lightning after they win a second championship in a row, namely because of the cap crunch. But I honestly think they would just need to sell a couple pieces, graduate from within, and be ready for a third championship.
Point, Vasilevskiy, Cirelli, and Sergachev are in the young primes of their careers, Kucherov is at the top of his game, and none of the vets are showing signs of falling off the aging cliff. Run it back!
