The Tampa Bay Lightning know what it takes to win a Championship. They're coming fresh off of back-to-back Cups and they're doing everything they can to try and three-peat. For teams like the Toronto Maple Leafs who are looking for a winning formula, they need look no further than the Bolts.
It's not so much a scoring and playmaking thing, or even a goaltending thing for that matter, that has made the Lightning successful. It's the heart, determination and sacrifice. Their willingness to do whatever it takes to win. The proof is in the pudding. Here's a team who has had less rest than any other teams in the league over the past 2 seasons and they're out there doing this sort of stuff:
Until the Buds adopt this mindset of pushing through the pain, grinding, sacrificing and going above and beyond the call of duty, they're going to find it challenging to win when it counts. For the Bolts, we may very well be seeing a modern dynasty in the making. If they can get it done for a third consecutive season, that will be the team that everyone will look to emulate - if they're not that already.