The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the cusp of something great, a third straight Stanley Cup win. Since its expansion in 1967, only two NHL teams have won three consecutive Cups. The Montreal Canadiens between 1976 and 1979 and the New York Islanders from 1980 to 1983. Those teams won four in a row, but the field is larger now and much more talented. Not even the great Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers or Mario Lemieux-led Pittsburgh Penguins teams managed to win more than two consecutive Stanely Cups.
Below, we’ll look at how the odds have shifted for Tampa Bay and analyze how they stack up to the competition.