The Tampa Bay Lightning continue to chase history. On Thursday night, the Lightning earned their 54th win of the season, something only nine teams have done in the salary cap era. Their next one will be number 55, joining just three others. With 11 games left, it’s becoming increasingly likely that the Lightning hit 60 wins, something that’s only been accomplished twice in hockey history.



The last team to do it was the Detroit Red Wings, who set the NHL record with 62 in 1995-96. The comparisons are natural given each team’s respective dominance, but that was a different era. The salary cap has changed the league landscape immensely and it’s perhaps more prudent to compare this year’s Lightning to their peers in a salary cap world.



Based on each team’s results (record and goal difference), their underlying numbers achieving those results (shot rates and percentages at each strength), and how each category fared relative to other...