Focused Lightning not concerned with historical trends
TAMPA, Fla. -- Two days after his team lost another Game 1 and was confronted with more daunting odds, Jon Cooper cracked a joke when told losers of the Stanley Cup Final opener face a difficult path to a title.
"I didn't really like the 'Game 1 losers,'" the Tampa Bay Lightning coach said Friday, referring to part of the question. "We didn't prevail in the game."
Laughter followed from many in the interview room at Amalie Arena. And why not? For the Lightning, history has become a butt of jokes throughout the postseason, this team treating trends that go against it with the same respect an elephant gives a fly.
Dumbo?
This postseason, betting against Tampa Bay because of historical trends has been plain dumb.
-- In the Eastern Conference quarterfinals, there was the 4-3 Game 7 record for Detroit Red Wings coach Mike Babcock compared to Cooper's 0-0. The result: A Lightning victory.
-- In the Eastern Conference semifinals, there was the 5-1 record for the Montreal Canadiens in their past six games when facing elimination, before traveling to Tampa for Game 6. The result: A Lightning victory.
-- In the Eastern Conference Finals, there was the 7-0 record for the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden in Game 7 matchups and goaltender Henrik Lundqvist's NHL-record six consecutive Game 7 wins. The result: A Lightning victory.
Now the math says Tampa Bay stands in a treacherous spot again.
Since the Stanley Cup Final went to a best-of-seven format in 1939, the victorious team in Game 1 has won 77.3 percent of the time (58 of 75 series). The Chicago Blackhawks, of course, rallied for two goals in the third period Wednesday at Amalie Arena to claim a 2-1 victory. The Lightning missed a chance to hold serve at home, where they've produced an inconsistent 5-6 mark in the postseason.
But forgive them for not sweating the numbers. After all, they've practically hung stat geeks on hooks by their underwear in recent weeks. The Lightning should embrace their growing reputation as bullies of history, this 1-0 deficit in the Stanley Cup Final their latest chance to write their own championship ending.
"I think we have a great opportunity," Lightning center Alex Killorn said. "I mean, not often do you get to play in the Stanley Cup Final. It's a great opportunity for all of us. ... It will make it even greater to know that we lost this first game and came back."
It's possible. Losing Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final only to clutch the Cup later isn't as much of a far-out fantasy as that 58-of-75 clip suggests. The Lightning did it in 2004, when they dropped the opener to the Calgary Flames. Other modern examples include the Red Wings in 2002 against the Carolina Hurricanes and the Boston Bruins in 2011 against the Vancouver Canucks.
Still, history can be a reliable guide. There's much yet to be learned about this Stanley Cup Final, and perhaps Chicago's first victory eventually will support the thought that taking Game 1 stands as an accurate predictor of how the series will go. It's fair to say that the Blackhawks and everything that comes with the Final hoopla are a tougher task than anything the Lightning faced in their run through the Eastern Conference. Tampa Bay stands before an opponent who has lived through these mental gymnastics to claim two Stanley Cup titles in the past five years.
But the Lightning have beaten enough history of late to shrug off this latest bit. They've earned belief in themselves, and self-confidence is a large reason why they've arrived at this stage. They're not about to stop now.
"I think that's why we're here," Cooper said. "Every time they get challenged, and it's been in so many different ways, whether it was Game 6 and 7 in Detroit, giving up two in Montreal, Game 7 against the Rangers, giving up five goals, whether it's (Ben Bishop) in a few games in a row, I think that's what makes this group the way they are.
"We understand how, percentage-wise, we've kind of bucked the trend a few times. But that's what winning teams do. That's why it's been so fun to be a part of this group. To be honest, it's not a lot of what I do, it's what they do, how they feel. You can see the look in their eyes."
That's part of the reason why these Lightning have been so intriguing. They rise after a brief fall. They recover after a short lapse. They've shown new life after new life.
They've been zombies who have haunted the Red Wings, Canadiens and Rangers, despite all the imperfections that have been part of this journey. Now the Blackhawks stand in their sights.
Much of the Lightning's postseason identity was formed from victories in Games 6 and 7 against Detroit. It's no coincidence that, in the buildup to the Stanley Cup Final, players mentioned the series as a defining stretch during their progress to reach this moment. Since, they've been grounded enough to know they can answer the call when necessary.
Will it happen again in Game 2 on Saturday and beyond? Time will show, but it seems silly to count them out.
"You want your own story," Lightning winger Ryan Callahan said. "You want your identity put on the playoffs. Coming into it, we wanted to try to win. And that's what we're still trying to do."
Yes, their attempt to laugh in the face of history continues. And that's no joke.
You can follow Andrew Astleford on Twitter @aastleford or email him at aastleford@gmail.com.
