The epic collapse of the Tampa Bay Lightning

[True Dough]

Tampa tied an NHL record this season with 62 wins. They finished the year with 128 points. The next best team (the Boston Bruins) had 107.

And the Bolts' season is over as of tonight. Swept out of the opening round of the playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Gone.

Just. Like. That.

[BeyondGeography]

1. Glass jaw

Blew a 3-0 lead in Game 1 and never recovered. They came out like minor leaguers in Game 2. Someone’s going to have to pay.

[True Dough]

3. After an implosion like that one

it does seem likely that some sort of shake up will occur. But it comes on the heels of such a spectacular regular season and coach Jon Cooper is favored to win the Jack Adams Award as coach of the year.

[BeyondGeography]

6. I like Cooper but he might need a different cast

He’s kind of cerebral and laid back. Could probably use some on-ice leadership. They brought in some ex-Rangers for that like Girardi and Callahan but those guys are fried.

[redstateblues]

2. Go Preds. We collapsed last year in the second round after winning the President's Trophy.

It's a crazy game.

[Instant Liberal]

4. Steve Yzermen stepped down and they broke.

Here's hoping he comes back to Detroit as GM. May as well, he still lives here.

[LisaM]

9. Yes, he will!

Press conference in an hour.

#CAPTAINSCOMINGHOME

[RockRaven]

5. I know very little about NHL/hockey. Given their record-tying record,

I must assume the Lightning must have been the 1 seed, and thereby played the 8. One of the few things *I think* I know about the NHL is that there are 30 teams and the top 8 in each conference (or other term?) make the playoffs, which also means the worst team in the playoffs usually has about a .500 or even losing record.

How often does the top team lose in the first round? Has the top team ever been swept in the first round before?

[Iggo]

7. LA Kings won the cup in 2012 as the 8th seed in the Western Conference with a record of 40-27-15.

They beat the 1-seed in the first round 4-1.

They beat the 2-seed in the second round 4-0.

They beat the 3-seed in the third round 4-1.

Then they beat the Eastern Conference 6-seed 4-2 for the Stanley Cup.

EDIT ADD: The (8) Nashville Predators swept the (1) Chicago Blackhawks in round one in 2017.

[True Dough]

8. Yes, Tampa was the #1 seed

and the Blue Jackets were #8 in the Eastern Conference.

Undoubtedly top-seeded teams have lost in the first round before, but I'm not sure if they've gone in four straight. Maybe, but very few.