The Tampa Bay Lightning were joined by the Buccaneers in the circle of champions for the area, a remarkable feat. Twenty four games into the 2021 season, and the Lightning are looking every bit the champions they are, reigning over the Central division. Their current streak says two wins on the trot, but the Lightning has been 8-1-1 and 18-4-2 for the season so far. For fans, the Lightning is a sure bucket and should be able to have
Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 of the Tampa Bay Lightning
favorable and pretty much large support, especially for fans who want some action down in Virginia where the bookmakers are always more busy than everywhere else; they are a sure thing.
A standout for the Lightning this season has been their defense, conceding just 51, against 87 scored, giving them the best differential in the Division and the league, 36. The team recently added some firepower to their roster by signing Daniel Walcott to a two-year extension. Walcott is not likely to play in the NHL anytime soon, but he is a reliable backup for a fourth-line injury replacement. His leadership and experience is also something the Lightning know they need. Around the Division, the Hurricanes and Panthers are doing their best to keep up with the Lightning, matching the defending champions with 18 and 16 wins apiece albeit in more games than Tampa who have a game in hand. The Hurricanes are on a red hot six-game winning streak, going 7-3-0 in their last ten games. None of the too three face themselves anytime soon, even though Tampa claimed a 3-0 sweep over the Hurricanes in their last matchups. The Panthers may not have as much wins but they do have some firepower as well, scoring 84 goals so far. The problem? They have
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy #88 and Erik Cernak #81 of the Tampa Bay Lightning and Sean Couturier #14 of the Philadelphia Flyers
conceded 72. Ok, and the East Division, the Islanders, Capitals, and Penguins have separated themselves from the pack, each with at least 15 wins in a minimum of 25 games played. Again the top is right, with only a game separating the teams, while the Islanders have a game more than the Penguins and Capitals.
The Bruins and Flyers are two games off the top three. Again it is the ability to play defense that separates the sides, with the Islanders leading the Division by far in goal difference. Over in the West, the Golden Knights may be on a two-game losing streak, but they still sit a comfortable two games above the second-placed Blues, with three games in hand. The Blues have more games, 26, than any other team in the top three, and have one of the more porous defense in the league with 82 goals conceded against 83 scored. Teams in the North Division have played more games than teams in the other Divisions, and despite being on a little slump, the Maple Leafs lead the Oilers and the chasing pack, with an 18-7-2 line for the season. The Oilers are second with 17 wins and a current three-game winning streak. The Jets round up the top three, two games back from the Maple Leafs, but with less games played than the top two.
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