Why Lightning will win 2025 Stanley Cup

The Tampa Bay Lightning established themselves as a dynasty in the early 2020s, but it took some growing pains to get there. After capturing the President's Trophy in 2018-19 as the league's best regular-season team — and winning a ridiculous 62 of 82 games — the Bolts were widely expected to come out of the Eastern Conference for the first time in four years.Instead, Tampa was shockingly swept in the first-round by the Columbus Blue Jackets, to this day one of the biggest upsets in NHL history. But instead of folding, the Lightning would go on to win their next 11 consecutive playoff rounds, winning the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 and coming within two victories of a three-peat. Despite losing to the Colorado Avalanche in the 2022 Finals, the dynasty had been born.Fast forward to 2024-25 and the Lightning haven't been out of the first round since. Tampa lost to the Toronto Maple Leafs in six games in Round 1 in 2023 and were defeated by the eventual champion Florida Panthers in five...