After winning their game against the Anaheim Ducks on Thursday, April 14, the Tampa Bay Lightning have guaranteed themselves a spot in the 2022 NHL Playoffs.

As of winning back-to-back Stanley Cups, the Lightning have wrestled their way through going back to the playoffs, as new players join the team, and some getting traded. Losing players such as Blake Coleman, Yanni Gourde, Barclay Goodrow, David Savard, Mathieu Joseph, Luke Schenn, Tyler Johnson, Taylor Raddysh and Boris Katchouk, Tampa had to adjust to these changes throughout the season.

The 2022 playoffs will be starting on May 2. To get in the playoffs, teams race to reach 95 points out of the whole season to have a better chance at making it in the playoffs. The NHL playoffs consist of 16 teams that qualify, and they will compete against each other for 4 rounds. In each round, teams will aim for the best out of seven games (they need to win at least four games) to move on to the next round.

As of April 19, 2022, teams going to the playoffs include the Tampa Bay Lightning, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Boston Bruins, Carolina Hurricanes, New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Washington Capitals, Colorado Avalanche, St. Louis Blues, Minnesota Wild and Calgary Flames.

During the game against Anaheim, Lightning’s Ross Colton scores a game-opening point two minutes into the first period. Later on in the first period, Alex Killorn scores the second point for the Lightning sixteen minutes in.

The second period starts and Anaheim’s Adam Henrique scores at the third minute, making the score 2-1. Scoring two points in a row, Henrique ties the game at the 10-minute mark during the second period. Only 22 seconds later, Anaheim’s Troy Terry scores at 10:41 in the second period. Lightning responds as Killorn scores a point later on in the second period. The Ducks try to challenge the goal, claiming it was offsides. The challenge fails, and the Lightning keeps their third goal.

Tension occurs in the third period as both teams are fighting to win, as Anaheim tries to cut off the Lightning’s three-peat Stanley Cup destiny. No goals occur in the third period, so both teams head into overtime. Only 12 seconds left in overtime, Lightning’s Anthony Cerelli scores the final point leading the Tampa Bay Lightning to the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs.