The Blue Jackets used a team game, with contributions from all players, in their stunning sweep of the Presidents' Trophy-winning Tampa Bay Lightning in the Eastern Conference First Round. Tampa Bay outscored Columbus 17-3 in three games during the regular season and took a 3-0 lead in the first period of Game 1, but it was all Blue Jackets after that. Columbus outscored Tampa Bay 19-5 in the final 11 periods of the series.
Sergei Bobrovsky, who had five wins in 24 Stanley Cup Playoff games prior to the Tampa Bay series, was excellent, with a 2.01 goals-against average and .932 save percentage against the highest scoring team in the League. He stepped up his game immensely at the time he and the team needed it most.
Columbus frustrated Tampa Bay to no end. Nikita Kucherov, who had an NHL-best 128 points (41 goals, 87 assists) during the regular season, had two assists in three playoff games. Steven Stamkos, who had 45 goals and 98 points during the regular season, had two points (one goal, one assist) in four games against the Blue Jackets. Brayden Point, who had 92 points (41 goals, 51 assists) during the regular season, had one goal in four playoff games. The leading scorer for the Lightning during the series was defenseman Eric Cernak with three points, all assists, which provides a good indication that the stars didn't show up.