from Joe Smith of The Athletic,

When you look back on this Lightning team years from now, you’ll remember the stars.

There are likely at least five future Hall of Famers on this roster, from Steven Stamkos and Victor Hedman to Nikita Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Brayden Point.

You’ll remember the personalities, from the “Florida Man” Pat Maroon to Alex Killorn’s “Dock Talk” jetski videos.

But don’t forget about the guts. The relentless determination. And the stunning evolution this core group has made, putting the Cup champions back to the Stanley Cup Final to face the Canadiens.

Consider this: The lasting image from Tampa Bay’s dominant 1-0 victory over the Islanders in Game 7 at an electric Amalie Arena was forward Barclay Goodrow, a big deadline addition from a year ago, fighting off four New York players behind their net. It was a six-on-five situation for the Islanders, who were desperate to tie the score, but the Lightning spent the final minute attacking, including Goodrow and Killorn playing keep-away. They weren’t going to give up the puck.

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