Will the Lightning Bolt to the Top?

We've seen many versions of the Tampa Bay Lightning before. They start weak then get strong. They start strong then get weak. They start weak and stay weak. And they start strong and stay strong.

Well so far this season, the Tampa Bay Lightning have hit the start strong and stay strong category. For the Lightning, they're not the most popular team on the ice, but if you want them long enough, you'll see how good they are.

Sitting at the top of the Southeast Division with 15 points, the Lightning seemed poised to make a good run to the playoffs, even though it's only October. Why are they doing so well? Guys like Steven Stamkos, perhaps? Of course, it has to be him. The top draft pick in 2008, Stamkos has been making the biggest impact of any player on the team this season. He's got 9 goals and 10 assists.

But that's not the only player the Lightning have got that has made an impact. Over the last few weeks or so, Martin St. Louis has certainly stepped up his game, earning great praise from many NHL commentators, bloggers, and other media personnel, and so have I. 5 goals and 7 assists for number 26 is certainly a good mark so far with only a month of play. But that's how hard you'll have to work if you want your team to be elite.

So far, the Lightning's schedule have favored them. They're in a middle of a four-game West Coast trip. They beat Phoenix on Saturday 3-0 with good production from their top lines, especially Steven Stamkos, who had a goal in this game. Now, they go on to Anaheim, Los Angeles, and San Jose to complete this trip. I expect about two wins from them on the rest of their road trip because Anaheim hasn't played well lately and San Jose played two poorly driven teams in their last two contests.

Don't count out the Lightning if you're one of the teams playing them in the next couple of weeks. Steven Stamkos is red-hot and the Lightning players have been able to back him with spectacular play, including their goaltenders like Dan Ellis, who earned the shutout in Phoenix. They're a fun team to watch. Look for them to make noise in the Eastern Conference.