Lightning used scoring depth, road dominance to clinch playoff berth

The Tampa Bay Lightning are in the Stanley Cup Playoffs after missing them last season.
The Lightning, who
clinched a playoff berth Sunday
, lead the Atlantic Division and are second in the NHL with 102 points through 72 games. They are in position to win the division and finish as the top seed in the Eastern Conference.

Here are five reasons the Lightning clinched a playoff berth:

1. Trophy trackers

It's impossible to talk about the trophy races in the NHL without mentioning a handful of Lightning players as top candidates.
Nikita Kucherov is on pace to win the Art Ross Trophy and could be a Hart Trophy candidate. He has 93 points (36 goals, 57 assists) and has been the top scorer in the League since Dec. 14.
Andrei Vasilevskiy has been a frontrunner for the Vezina Trophy all season. He leads the League in wins (40). He's also tied for sixth in save percentage (.922) and is 11th in goals-against average (2.53) among goalies with 40 or more appearances.
"You can't say enough of what he has meant and how well he has played," coach Jon Cooper said. "He gives us a chance to win every night."
Victor Hedman could take home the Norris Trophy for the first time. Hedman is sixth among defensemen with 52 points (12 goals, 40 assists) and fifth in ice time per game (25:56). He's also plus-26, tied for second in the League among defensemen.
In addition, rookie forward Yanni Gourde could get some votes for the Calder Trophy and Cooper could receive consideration for the Jack Adams Award. It's also possible Steve Yzerman gets some recognition in the General Manager of the Year vote.

2. Stamkos healthy, producing

Steven Stamkos is on pace to play 82 games and be better than a point per game player, a major development considering his recent injury history.
Stamkos has 84 points (27 goals, 57 assists) in 72 games. He has primarily played with Kucherov, forming arguably the best 1-2 forward punch in the League.
They had a good thing going at the start of last season too, when they combined for 41 points (17 goals, 24 assists) in the first 17 games, but Stamkos missed the last 65 games because of a right knee injury that required surgery. The Lightning missed the playoffs.
Stamkos also missed the last five games of the 2015-16 regular season and didn't return until Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final at the Pittsburgh Penguins because of a blood clotting issue in his right arm. The Lightning lost Game 7.

3. Secondary scoring

Tampa Bay is one of two teams in the NHL (Toronto Maple Leafs) with eight players who have scored at least 40 points.
In addition to Kucherov, Stamkos and Hedman, Brayden Point has 58 points, Gourde has 54, Tyler Johnson has 48, Alex Killorn has 41 and Vladislav Namestnikov had 44 before he was traded to the New York Rangers on Feb. 26.
Ondrej Palat was on pace for 53 points before sustaining a lower-body injury. Palat has missed 26 consecutive games since Jan. 22. He has 30 points in 46 games.
"Kucherov and Stamkos are the guys that everyone looks out for and that has set up opportunities for the rest of us," Gourde said. "The plays are there and we have to be able to take advantage of them."

4. Road dominance

The Lightning lead the League with 23 road wins and are second behind the Nashville Predators with 48 road points (23-11-2). They went 7-0-1 on the road from Oct. 16-Nov. 12 and 11-6-1 from Dec. 31-Feb. 24.

5. Extra extra

The Lightning are 12-4 in games that extend beyond regulation: 6-2 in games that end in overtime and 6-2 in the shootout. Only the Columbus Blue Jackets (13) have more combined wins in overtime and the shootout.
The key stretch was Feb. 24-March 10, when they went 6-0-1 in games that ended after regulation.
"We find ways to win," said Point, who has four overtime goals and four game-deciding shootout goals, tying him for the League lead in both categories.