Are you ready?
We said, Arrrrrrrreeeeeee you reeeeeeaddddddddyyyyyy?
Game 7 is here! Well, almost here. We still have to wait 24 hours for the Lightning and Canadiens to engage in their winner-take-all battle. A few years ago, the Lightning engaged in a Game 7 against the New York Islanders in the Eastern Conference Finals. Prior to that game we ranked their previous Game 7s based on a completely arbitrary, poorly-thought-out system. Really, it is what we do best.
Since the publication of the original list, the Lightning have added two more Game 7s to their resume, both of them victories. It runs their record to 7-3 all-time and they are 4-1 on home ice. As always, it is interesting to revisit these games and note that the goals are almost always scored by the Sean Bergenheim’s, Nathan Horton’s, and Rusty Fedotenko’s of the world. Will it be Zemgus Girgensons or Jake Evans that plays the hero?
We shall gild the lily no longer – time to rank ’em!
10. 2018 Eastern Conference Finals vs Washington Capitals
4-0 Loss
This was the most recent Game Seven in franchise history, so it’s understandable that fans may be a little nervous. What an absolute disaster of a game. The Lightning were up 3-2 in the series after a 3-2 win in Game Five. They then forgot how to score goals, getting shut out in Games Six and Seven. This team was supposed to have learned their lesson after the Game Seven two years previous against the Penguins.
2026 Thoughts – This one is still the most disappointing. You know how you felt after Game Five in this current series after the Lightning failed to take advantage on home ice? Multiply it by 10. In the moment, it felt like the Lightning would never reach the mountain top with the core of the team they had built.
9. 2011 Conference Quarter Finals vs Pittsburgh Penguins
1-0 Win
All it took was a second period goal from Sean Bergenheim and 36 saves from Dwayne Roloson for the Lightning to pull off the first round upset under rookie coach Guy Boucher. The victory capped off a comeback from a 3-1 series deficit. The fact that the Penguins were without Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin due to injuries kind of dulls the shine of this one.
2026 Thoughts – I bumped this one down a spot. It was a great win by a team that went on an improbable run, but it was probably their weakest opponent.
8. 2011 Eastern Conference Finals vs Boston Bruins
1-0 Loss
Of all of the Game 7s on this list this was probably the best overall game of the bunch. It was a back and forth affair that featured 62 combined shots and two extremely outstanding efforts from the goaltenders. Tim Thomas stopped 24 shots while Dwayne Roloson stopped 37. Nathan Horton was the lone player to find the back of the net the entire game despite several Grade A chances from both sides. You will also remember a young Steven Stamkos coming back after taking a shot right off the nose.
Why is it so low? Because it was an absolute heartbreaker for a team that was on an unlikely role. Is it my personal worse loss as a Lightning fan? Yes, yes it is.
2026 Thoughts – Oddly enough, I was thinking of this game last night during Game 6. There were some haunting similarities as the clock wound down on a 0-0 game. The missed opportunities, the outstanding play of the goaltenders, the feeling that they were one defensive breakdown away from conceding a goal.
7. 2015 First Round vs Detroit Red Wings
2-0 Win
Ben Bishop posted a 31-save shutout to spark the Lightning’s surprise run to the Finals. Braydon Coburn made Steve Yzerman’s trade deadline gamble pay off as he floated a puck past Petr Mrazek just four minutes into the third period. Anton Stralman added an empty netter to secure the win. It was a turning point between the two franchises as the Red Wings would sink into a rebuild and the Lightning would start their current run of success.
2026 Thoughts – More than a decade later and Detroit is still searching for the playoffs while the Lightning are still fighting for their lives in the playoffs.
6. 2021 Eastern Conference Finals vs. New York Islanders
1-0 Win
A new entry for the countdown! Should it be higher? Maybe. It was such a fun game in a series that was pretty close. The Lightning returned home after failing to clinch in Game 6. Nikita Kucherov was questionable for the game, Erik Cernak had missed the previous two contests, and all the momentum seemed to be with New York. Instead, it was Vasilevskiy pitching an 18-save shutout and Yanni Gourde scoring a short-handed goal that gave them the margin of victory.
5. 2016 Eastern Conference Finals vs Pittsburgh Penguins
2-1 Loss
The return of Steven Stamkos game. After missing all of the postseason as he recovered from a blood clot, The Captain returned and almost, almost helped pull off the upset. His slapshot off of the rush skittered just wide late in the second period. Jonathan Drouin scored the lone goal for the Bolts as they were undone by rookies Bryan Rust (2 goals) and Matt Murray (16 saves). Another rookie, Andrei Vasilevskiy, did everything he could to keep the Lightning in the game with 37 saves.
Why did this make the top four? Because one of my best friends is a Penguins fan and it was nice to see him win one more Stanley Cup before Pittsburgh turned into perpetual underachievers.
2026 Thoughts – Yeah, this still feels about right. Of the three losses, this was the best game of the three. It was really a toss-up the entire 60 minutes.
4. 2022 First Round vs. Toronto Maple Leafs
2-1 Win
The Nick Paul game! Also, the Lightning’s most recent Game 7. Does it get bonus points for being against the Maple Leafs? You bet it does. This game had a little bit of everything. Brayden Point was injured early and missed most of the game. Andrei Vasilevskiy was in prime form, stopping 30-of-31. The Leafs had a goal waved off because of an interference call. The third period was a clinic in how to play with the lead, and Nick Paul’s game-winner led to an iconic franchise photo.
3. 2015 Eastern Conference Finals vs New York Rangers
2-0 Win
Ben Bishop was the star in this one as he stopped all 22 shots he faced. It was his second 2-0 win (sandwiched around an ugly 7-3 loss on home ice). Alex Killorn and Ondrej Palat provided the third period offense that sent the Lightning back to the Stanley Cup Final. It was a little sweeter as the knocked out Marty St. Louis who had spurned them the previous season.
2026 Thoughts – The upstart Lightning found a way to take down the vaunted New York Rangers. I’m on the fence on knocking this one down a couple of pegs, but it was really the win that launched this decade-plus run of success for the organization.
2004 Eastern Conference Finals vs Philadelphia Flyers
2-1 Win
This was lot closer than it should have been. While nothing can top a Stanley Cup Game 7, this one came close. The series against the Flyers was an absolute slugfest with the two teams beating the stuffing out of each other the entire way. The Lightning outbullied the Broad Street Bullies by throwing 28 hits in this game and goals by Ruslan Fedotenko and Freddie Modin were enough to send the Lightning to their first Stanley Cup Final.
On a personal note, I didn’t actually see this one live as I was on a date with my future wife. We did pop into The Hub (original location) in time to see the final few minutes and celebrated with strangers in one of the great Tampa bars.
2026 Thoughts – If any fan who wasn’t around for the pre-lockout version of the NHL wants to know what it was like, watch this series. The Lightning didn’t win this game, they survived it. They took down a truey great Flyers team (Jeremy Roenick once referred to it as the best chance he ever had at winning a Stanley Cup).
1. 2004 Stanley Cup Finals vs Calgary Flames
2-1 Win
A Stanley Cup Game 7? There is nothing better than that. Especially one that ends in a victory. Once again it was Ruslan Fedotenko playing the hero as he scored twice while Nikolai Khabibulin stopped 16 of 17 shots, including one in the dying seconds gave the Lightning their first Stanley Cup.
Personal highlight – chatting on a crappy cell phone connection with Daren Puppa after the game (some slightly intoxicated friends of mine ran into him during the post-game celebration and forced him to talk on the phone).
2026 Thoughts – No new thoughts. It’s still the best win in franchise history, and I’d be hard-pressed to think anything is ever going to top it.
Where will tomorrow’s game rank?
On Sunday, the Lightning have a chance to add another chapter to their Game 7 history book. Where will it rank?
What are your thoughts on the Lightning’s Game 7s?
