"Stanley Cup is coming through Tampa Bay" - NHL Insider on the Tampa Bay Lightning's chances (Exclusive)

The Tampa Bay Lightning have been one of the best teams in the NHL over the past five seasons. They won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 and came very close to a three-peat in 2022. They made it to the finals but were beaten by the Colorado Avalanche in six games.

Tampa Bay radio personality JP Peterson praised the Lightning for their recent performances on the BallFather podcast and said he has high hopes for their chances in the playoffs:

"You know what, like champions that they are, they came out and showed last night what they got. They're not going away. The Stanley Cup and the Eastern Conference title is coming through Tampa Bay, no question about it. Wow."

Although the Tampa Bay Lightning have won a lot of games, they have not performed well against the top teams in the league. They have received a lot of backlash from the media and fans for not stepping up to the occasion against the NHL's elite.

"They haven't played great against the better teams. And they've been taking a lot of heat from the national media for that."

Coach Jon Cooper has been instrumental in motivating the squad to perform against top teams. He's pushing them to win these games as a challenge for themselves. If they want to come out of the Eastern Conference, they need to beat teams like the Boston Bruins and the Toronto Maple Leafs.

"So John Cooper, their coach, flat out just challenged them this week and said, 'You got three great teams coming in here right before the All-Star break. Let's see what you guys got.' He literally said that to his team."

A huge part of the Tampa Bay Lightning's success has been accredited to their captain Steven Samkos. He has been with the team since they selected him first overall in the 2008 NHL Draft. With players like Andrei Vasilevskiy, Victor Hedman, and Nikita Kucherov, the Lightning are looking like real contenders this season.

Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2022-23 NHL season

Corey Perry #10 of the Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates a goal in the first period during a game against the Los Angeles Kings at Amalie Arena on January 28, 2023 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)

The Tampa Bay Lightning are currently third in the NHL Atlantic Division with a 32-15-1 record. They are on a 12-game winning streak at home. Their most recent victory was a 5-2 win over the Los Angeles Kings on January 28.

Their next game is against their state rivals, the Florida Panthers, on February 6. The Lightning were victorious in their previous meeting against the Panthers. They beat them 4-1 on December 10. Their final game against them will be at Amelia Arena on February 26.

The Lightning are in great form and will be looking to win their third Stanley Cup in four seasons.