What's all the more impressive about the sudden rise of the Lightning to Stanley Cup favorites is that they haven't needed to bring anyone new in to make a significant difference; they've just had to find a different way of playing with the assets they already had. The return to form of Steven Stamkos has been a particular highlight. Here’s a man who, as recently as two years ago, was thought to be past his best. Questions persisted about his knee, and the media openly questioned if he’d ever be able to make it ‘all the way back'. He's not only answered that question, but he's also made people appear foolish for ever asking it in the first place.

It’s not just Stamkos though. The Lightning have been blessed by multiple players all seeming to peak at the same time to contribute to something truly magical to watch. There’s a famous and much-played slot game over at RoseSlots.com called the ‘Great Rhino Slot’, where triggering one of the bonus features results in a rhino appearing on your screen and charging straight at you. That must be exactly how teams lining up against the Lightning have felt this season as the forward line has come at them like a stampede, but with none of the reward . It's good news when a stampede comes at you in Great Rhino; it means you're about to get a chance at picking up a big win. The Lightning's opponents get nothing but a beating.

Coach Jon Cooper, a mild-mannered man who’s always been keen for his players to pick up the plaudits while he stays in the background, is under no illusion as to what the trigger for success has been. Speaking earlier in the season, he believes his A-Team is the trio of Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Tyler Johnson. With Stamkos in red-hot form just behind them, they seemed to gel from the moment they took the ice in October, and although there’s been a marginal drop-off in the shot-to-goal ratio since, there’s no mistaking the fact that all three men are in championship form.

It takes more than just great players to make a great team, and what may be different this time around for the Lightning is a seeming sense of kinship within the starting players. Tyler Johnson has gone on record multiple times with his admiration of Kucherov, referring to him as a player who doesn’t need any encouragement, but most importantly of all, being ‘fun’ to play with. Yanni Gourde has spoken in similar terms about Stamkos, acknowledging that Stamkos is a truly great playmaker, but also making a point of saying that it’s ‘fun’ to play with him.

When a team is happy, and the players enjoy playing with each other, the job of being a coach becomes a lot easier. When you're losing, and you're being asked to sit things out or play out of position, it's easy for a player to lose both confidence and motivation. When you can physically see the benefit of the changes the coach is making, it's much easier to accept why decisions are being made, and your own role as part of them. Cooper has switched the lines around a few times this season, often in the middle of games. It's usually sparked the desired effect. When it's achieved consistently, success becomes a habit, and the Lightning have made a habit of it whenever they suit up and head into battle. Habits, as any reformed smoker will tell you, are a hard thing to break.

So will Tampa Bay Lightning go on to win the Stanley Cup? Making predictions is a bold business. They've verged on it before, but it's been fifteen long years since they last brought that trophy home. There's still a lot that can go wrong, and there are still hurdles to overcome. What we do feel safe in saying is that they may never have had a better shot throughout those past fifteen years than they do right now. The Lightning are currently riding the perfect storm of crucial players in form, a happy family atmosphere within the team, and a coach who's capable of motivating his troops. Confidence and momentum are half the battle when it comes to winning hockey games, and the Lightning are currently brimming with both. If Stamkos doesn't get you, Kucherov will. If not Kucherov, then Point. If not Point then Johnson, or Gourde, or someone else stepping up to the table at the crucial moment.

The Lightning are walking into every game believing they're capable of outscoring their opponent and having fun in the process. As observers, we may be about to see their greatest season within the sport. Hang onto your hats, because they're about to make history.