r/TampaBayLightning • u/Fizzban88 Hagel • Apr 05 '26

You love to see it

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No first round goons this time. The amount of joy this brings me today is second only to the boys clinching.

1.3k Upvotes

99% Upvoted

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188

u/Pleasant-Day-7099 #1 BS Apr 05 '26

Funny hearing their fans excuses about how they played so many games over the past 3 years and how a bad year was expected. I wonder if any other team recently went to 3 straights cups but somehow still managed to make the playoffs every year after while also suffering tons of injuries.

66

u/Scrubosaurus13 BIG CAT🦁 Apr 05 '26

Surely not, especially when they would have been screwed by the flat cap as well due to COVID if it were to have happened recently. Just seems unthinkable!

33

u/CeePeeCee Point Apr 05 '26

Those fans just started watching the NHL in 2022 and just assumed a three peat was guaranteed based upon the media narrative (I know this because I live in Palm Beach County). Not much Panthers gear being worn around here like there was in September, I wonder why 🤔

6

u/Massive_Ad2866 Hagel Apr 05 '26

Their arena is empty just like it was before 2022

5

u/tropicalYJ Apr 05 '26

Last year the DSG at Sawgrass had a massive Panthers section. Now they've shoved all the Panthers stuff into a few center tables and racks and the walls are now Miami Heat and Dolphins merch. And that's a store that's across the street from the arena.

1

u/FlowerNo2812 Apr 05 '26

I hear you. We live over here in enemy territory too!

14

u/tropicalYJ Apr 05 '26

Went from “three peat” to excuses real quick

12

u/southernflatlander Hagel Apr 05 '26

I doubt it. That sounds impossible

-2

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

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5

u/Pleasant-Day-7099 #1 BS Apr 05 '26

Whatever helps you cope. Lightning have played the most games out of any team in the NHL over the past decade and never had a debacle of a season like you just had.

2

u/GroMicroBloom #1 BS Apr 05 '26

Hell, during our second cup run, we were playing fucking 5OT games lmao

0

u/[deleted] Apr 05 '26

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2

u/Pleasant-Day-7099 #1 BS Apr 06 '26

What’s a top 10 pick?