In the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs, the Lightning eliminated the New Jersey Devils in the first round and the Boston Bruins in the second round, both in five games. Tampa Bay Lightning Kucherov with the Lightning in 2014. They won seven of their last eight games and on April 5, 2019, the Blue Jackets clinched the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a 3–2 shootout win over the New York Rangers. On February 25, the Blue Jackets acquired Keith Kinkaid from the New Jersey Devils in exchange for a fifth round pick in the 2022 NHL Entry Draft, and later acquired Adam McQuaid from the New York Rangers in exchange for Julius Bergman and fourth and seventh round picks in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft.ĭespite these acquisitions, the Blue Jackets initially struggled into March as they faced fierce competition from the Montreal Canadiens and the Carolina Hurricanes for the last two Wild Card spots. A day later, the Blue Jackets traded again with the Senators, this time acquiring Ryan Dzingel in exchange for Anthony Duclair. On February 22, the Blue Jackets acquired Matt Duchene in a trade with the Ottawa Senators. Blue Jackets GM Jarmo Kekalainen was an active participant near the trade deadline window of the 2018–19 season, acquiring several players with expiring contracts. Two-time Vezina Trophy winner Sergei Bobrovsky and the team's leading scorer, Artemi Panarin were in the final year of their contracts before becoming unrestricted free agents. However, they lost the next four games and the series in six games. They faced the Washington Capitals in the first round, winning the first two games in overtime and their first series lead. The Blue Jackets entered the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs as a wild card qualifier, qualifying in back-to-back years for the first time in franchise history. Tampa Bay would go on to win back-to-back Stanley Cups in the 20 Stanley Cup playoffs, and would make it back to the Stanley Cup Finals in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs.īackground Columbus Blue Jackets Sergei Bobrovsky with the Columbus Blue Jackets during the 2013–14 season. The two teams would once again play each other the next year in the first round of the 2020 Stanley Cup playoffs, where the Lightning would avenge the previous year's loss winning that series 4–1 and would eventually go on to win the Stanley Cup. Jeremy Roenick of NBC Sports described Tampa's elimination as "one of the biggest letdowns in history", while the Tampa Bay Times described it as "the disappointment that all others are measured against". Many commentators consider this series to be one of the greatest upsets in NHL history, considering that the Blue Jackets trailed the Lightning by 30 points exactly during the regular season. It was also the first time that a Presidents' Trophy winner was eliminated in the first round since 2012, though this would happen again in 2023. The Blue Jackets' victory was their first ever playoff series win in franchise history. It was the fifth time in NHL history that a team with the best regular season record got swept in the First Round (and the first time since the Expansion Era). Tampa's elimination was the first time a Presidents' Trophy winner was swept by an eighth seed. The series concluded with Columbus sweeping the Lightning in four games, with a +11 goal differential, while never trailing in the final three games. The Blue Jackets subsequently won Game 2, 5–1 and, in Columbus, Ohio, won games 3 and 4, 3–1 and 7–3 respectively. However, the series ended in a shocking elimination for the Lightning they blew a 3–0 lead at the end of the first period and lost Game 1, 4–3. The Lightning were seen by analysts as the overwhelming favorites to win the series. Tampa Bay won the Presidents' Trophy with 128 points and had beaten Columbus in all three regular season meetings by a combined score of 17 to 3. The Columbus Blue Jackets came into the series as the eighth seed, finishing with 98 points and qualifying for the playoffs in their second to last game. The 2018–19 NHL season saw the Tampa Bay Lightning tie the 1995–96 Detroit Red Wings for the most regular season wins in NHL history. The series began on Apand ended on April 16. The 2019 Stanley Cup Eastern Conference First Round series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Columbus Blue Jackets was a playoff series in the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2018–19 season. Rick Peckham and Brian Engblom ( Fox Sports Sun) Jeff Rimer and Jody Shelley ( Fox Sports Ohio) John Forslund and Pierre McGuire (Games 1–2, 4) John Forslund and Brian Boucher (Game 3) ( NBC Sports and Sportsnet) United States ( English) (National): USA (1), CNBC (2 and 4) and NBCSN (3) Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio, site of games 3 and 4
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