The Wraparound: Can Lightning overcome another slow start to series?

On more than one occasion this postseason the Tampa Bay Lightning have looked like a team that has been vulnerable. A team that is in the middle of a third consecutive lengthy postseason run and could be on the verge of maybe running out of gas. But they have always found a way to overcome it and continue their dynastic run toward a third consecutive championship.

Those moments of vulnerability have typically come at the start of each series where they have been slow starts.

Entering Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche on Saturday night the Lightning are in an early series deficit for the third time this postseason.

They trailed Toronto in the First Round by margins of 1-0, 2-1, and 3-2 before ultimately winning, stole a couple of early wins against Florida in the Second Round on their way to a sweep, and then had to overcome a 2-0 series deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals against the New York Rangers. In each of those previous series’ the Lightning did not look like the Lightning team we have come to expect in recent years early on, and that was definitely the case in their 4-3 Game 1 loss in this series.

Colorado was faster, dominated the territorial aspect of the game, and had complete control from the start. The mismatch in goaltending was the main factor in getting the game to overtime and giving Tampa Bay a chance.

Based on that one game, it would be easy to think that Colorado has the upper hand in the series at the start. And maybe it does. The Avalanche have been one of the best teams in the league for five years now and seem to be on a mission this postseason to erase any doubt that may have existed around this core. They are 13-2 in the playoffs, have only lost one game in