from Nicholas J. Cotsonika of NHL.com,

Several Stanley Cup contenders improved before the 2019 NHL Trade Deadline, but the Tampa Bay Lightning didn't.

Because they didn't think they could.

"Ultimately, I didn't find anything that I could say, 'Yeah, this makes us a better team. That makes sense. That brings us closer to winning a Stanley Cup,'" general manager Julien BriseBois said. "It wasn't there."

Why mess with success?

In an NHL with a salary cap and parity, Tampa Bay is running away with the Presidents' Trophy as the top regular-season team.

After the trade deadline passed Monday at 3 p.m. ET, the Lightning defeated the Los Angeles Kings 4-3 in a shootout at Amalie Arena for their ninth straight victory to extend their point streak to 13 games (11-0-2).

With 100 points, they have 15 more than anyone else and are on pace for 129, which would be tied for third in history and three short of the record held by the 1976-77 Montreal Canadiens.

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