The Columbus Blue Jackets finished off one of the biggest upsets in NHL history on Tuesday night by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning, 7-3, to finish a four-game sweep in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
The Blue Jackets had never won a playoff series prior to Tuesday. And they were matched up against a Lightning team that won the Presidents’ Trophy for the most points in the league. Tampa Bay, who tied the NHL record for wins with 62 this season, became the first team in the expansion era, which began in 1967-68, to go winless in the first round of the playoffs after leading the league in points during the regular season.
“It was a great series,” wing Josh Anderson said. “That’s the way we want to play.”
The Blue Jackets was led by stellar goaltending by Sergei Bobrovsky, who finished with 30 saves. The Blue Jackets’ final three goals came late in the period after the Lightning had pulled goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for an extra skater.
Columbus will face either Boston or Toronto in the second round of the playoffs. That series is currently tied at 1-1.
Blue Jackets Sweep Tampa Bay with 7-3 victory in Stanley Cup Playoffs! was originally published on mycolumbuspower.com
