"I've never given up belief in any of these players, every single one of them. If there's a team that can do it, it's us."
Sometimes you really have to dig deep. It’s Saturday morning and the Lightning are on the verge of being eliminated from the postseason. They currently trail the Panthers by three games in round one of the Stanley Cup playoffs. A win in Game 4 at Amalie Arena would allow them to extend their season, a loss would end it.
This is a position the Lightning aren’t accustomed to, but the battle against the salary cap over the past few years has started to show. The losses haven’t been blowouts, each game has been tight. Two were one-goal games, and one was decided in overtime. Game 3 was a one-goal game until Florida scored an empty-netter in the last minute. Still the Lightning haven’t found a way to cross the finish line.
Tampa Bay can often fly under the radar in comparison to other teams around the league. They’ve quietly experienced their fair share of challenges this season and found a way to fight through them. A new roster, an injured Andrei Vasilevskiy to start the season, and the natural transitions of a team that’s been up against the salary cap the past few years. After a season full of ups and downs, the Lightning made a massive push in March that was led by their leadership core. That push is what secured their playoff spot.
“Every year you have the goal of making the playoffs, and it's hard," said Lightning captain Steven Stamkos. "Certainly, there were times this season where maybe that didn't look like it was going to be the case from the outside, but this group in here always had that belief."
The Panthers know it will be a tough challenge to finish off the Lightning in Game 4. Anyone who has watched hockey in the past decade knows Tampa Bay should never be underestimated. In order to cross the finish line, the Lightning need their big guys to step up. Part of the struggle is that the Panthers have been able to contain the Lightning’s two stars, Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov. A goal from each player could make the difference in the game.
"Every single person here believes,” Nick Paul said. “I truly believe that. I've never given up belief in any of these players, every single one of them. If there's a team that can do it, it's us. We believe, every single one in here."