By the time the Tampa Bay Lightning and Columbus Blue Jackets had played as much playoff hockey last year as they did in Game 1 of their series in 2020, the Lightning had been outscored 11-4 and essentially were trailing 3-0 in their series against the Jackets. But that’s not what makes 2020 so different than 2019 for the Lightning. If they do fulfill their promise and win the Stanley Cup, they might just be able to point to the first game of the playoff marathon as their statement game.
There was a time when the Lightning would not have had the maturity and patience to stay comfortable in a situation that was as uncomfortable as a five-overtime game.