Lightning’s fatal flaw that will doom them in 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Story by

Story by
Lightning’s fatal flaw that will doom them in 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs

Steve Silverman, ClutchPoints · ClutchPoints

Tue, Apr 21, 2026 ·

5 min read

About Our Ads

Lightning’s fatal flaw that will doom them in 2026 Stanley Cup Playoffs appeared first on ClutchPoints . Add ClutchPoints as a Preferred Source by clicking here .

The Tampa Bay Lightning are not the type of team that is going to capitulate just because they have fallen behind in a playoff series. Losing the opening game of their first-round series to the Montreal Canadiens is not going to bother head coach Jon Cooper’s veteran team — but it will annoy them.

The Lightning took a penalty late in the third period in Game 1 against the Habs and Juraj Slafkovsky turned it into a game-winning goal early in the first overtime. While some teams might be on the verge of panic after losing the opener at home, the Lightning are too talented and too experienced to fall apart. Remember, this is a team that went 19-1-1 earlier this year, laying waste to nearly every opponent.

The Lightning have one of the most dangerous players in the league in Nikita Kucherov (44 goals and 130 points), and he is likely to tell his teammates to jump on his back and follow his lead. As dangerous as Kucherov is, he doesn’t have to do it by himself. He has a crew of high-scoring teammates that can both make plays or score on their own.

They are facing a very solid opponent in the Canadiens. The two teams both finished with 106 points during the regular season tied for second in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning have home-ice advantage in the series because they had more regulation wins than the Canadiens, and home ice could be the difference if the series goes seven games.

Many NHL observers like to point out that the Canadiens have taken home-ice advantage away from the Lightning because of Slafkovsky’s heroics, but that is not the case. As long as the Lightning can win one game on Montreal’s home ice at the Bell Center, the Lightning will regain that advantage.

Victor Hedman ’s questionable status is a big problem for Lightning

Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images

One of the reasons Cooper has so much confidence in his team is the presence of Kucherov, defenseman Victor Hedman and goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy . All three are among the very best at their position when they are healthy, and it’s one of the reasons that so many long-time NHL observers believe the Lightning will represent the Eastern Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals.

However, Hedman has been out of the lineup for personal reasons and Cooper has not revealed much about his status. Recent reports indicate he is back with the team after a significant absence, but there has not been anything specific about when Hedman would return to the lineup.

He is clearly a difference maker when he is healthy because he is capable of playing the role of shutdown defenseman and he is also a huge offensive factor when the Lightning are on the attack.

“Victor’s been around us, and he’s slowly starting to get some ice time and stuff like that, and get himself hopefully back,” Cooper said , per Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic. “We love having him around because he’s our captain and he’s a wealth of experience. He’s going to be with us on this trip. He’s going to be with us, probably not available (to play) right now. And it’s playoff time, so we keep those things close to the vest.”

If the Lightning lose Game 2 at home, they will have to push Hedman hard to return to the lineup.

Vasilevskiy in goal is usually an advantage for the Lightning

The Lightning would seem to have a significant advantage in goal because Vasilevskiy is such a proven commodity. He has already led the Lightning to two Stanley Cup championships, and the longer the playoffs go, the more of an advantage his presence means to the Lightning.

However, the key is getting through the first two rounds, and that’s where the Lightning could be vulnerable. They have to find their offensive rhythm against the Canadiens, because Montreal is a team that can fill up the net with Nick Suzuki (101 points) and high-scoring Cole Caufield (51 goals).

The Lightning know that Jake Guentzel (38 goals, 88 points) and Brandon Hagel (74 points) along with the booming shot of Darren Raddysh and the creativity of superslick Brayden Point can complement Kucherov’s offensive skill.

The Canadiens will test them and it could be a seven-game series, while the Lightning could have to go up against the explosive Buffalo Sabres in the second round if they are successful. Buffalo emerged from a 15-year Stanley Cup absence to win the Atlantic Division crown.

The Sabres have a pair of dangerous scorers in Tage Thompson and Alex Tuch , and they registered a dramatic come-from-behind victory over the Boston Bruins in Game 1 of that playoff series. While the Bruins could bounce back and find a way to win the series, the Sabres appear to be the far more dangerous opponent. The Lightning had a 4-0 record against the Bruins in the regular season, but the Lightning had just a 1-3 record against the Sabres.

It seems likely that their first-round series against the Canadiens or a second-round series against the Sabres could result in defeat for the Lightning.

Mobilize your Website

View Site in Mobile | Classic

Share by: