Tampa Bay Lightning’s Atlantic Division Record Needs Improvement

Tampa Bay Lightning celebrating a goal
Photo via NHL.com

With the 2024-2025 season more than half over, the Tampa Bay Lightning are in a precarious position. They are clinging to a playoff spot, but it’s far from secure, with seven teams fighting for the final two Eastern Conference Wild Card spots.

Of those seven teams, three are in the Atlantic Division. The Ottawa Senators, Montreal Canadiens and Detroit Red Wings are within four points of the Lightning with one more game played. That makes it imperative for Tampa Bay to turn around their divisional record going forward.

As of January 26, the Lightning are 3-9 against the Atlantic Division. Of their three wins, only one has come versus a team chasing them in the standings. More concerning, they are winless so far when playing Montreal, Ottawa and Toronto. That’s a disturbing trend, considering these are four-point games.

Beginning in February, the Lightning have 14 games remaining against division opponents. They must improve their record against those teams to make the postseason for an eighth straight season.

It’s important to note that seven of those games were part of a back-to-back. Three were on the recently completed four-game road trip, which featured four games in six days. While not an excuse, it has to be brutal for players to have little rest between games.

Going forward, the Lightning only faces a divisional foe three times in a back-to-back situation. Two of those, on the road at Detroit and then Montreal, come prior to an extended break for the Four Nations Tournament. That should help a team that faced a brutal January schedule, with four sets of back-to-backs and six games against the Atlantic Division.

Can the Lightning improve their record against fellow Atlantic teams? Only time will tell, but failure to do so might prove costly in their quest for another playoff berth.

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Lauren Burg

Lauren Burg is a Tampa Bay Lightning writer for “Inside the Rink.” A lifelong Tampa Bay Area resident, she graduated from the University of South Florida’s world-renowned journalism program in December 2009. While in college, she discovered hockey and the Tampa Bay Lightning. She quickly became a passionate fan, attending many games over the years. She also experienced an All-Star game in 2018, numerous road games, and, most recently, the Bolts back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. Since graduating college, she’s been working hard to combine her two loves, writing and hockey, hoping to one day make that her full-time career. In her free time, she enjoys attending sporting events (both home & road when possible), taking photos, and traveling.

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