The Tampa Bay Lightning were crowned NHL champions and hoisted the Stanley Cup on Monday night with a 2-0 shutout win over the Dallas Stars in Game Six. This title feels as if it has been a long time coming for the Lightning, whose young core fell to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 Cup Final and a few years later survived a heart-breaking first-round upset sweep at the hands of the Columbus Blue Jackets last season. With a flat salary cap set to blow up the roster this off-season, it almost seemed inevitable that this Lightning team would emerge victorious with the franchise’s second championship before the impressive group was torn apart. It also seems fitting that such a truly talented and title-worthy team will go down in history for winning the “bubble Cup”.
Tampa Bay won the Cup in style this postseason, too. The Bolts were one of just two teams to actually earn their regular season seeding in the round robin, entering the Eastern Conference playoffs as the No. 2 seed. Their path to victory first included vengeance against the Blue Jackets in a five-game series that included a historic five-overtime win in Game One and another overtime win to seal the series. Tampa then took on their greatest rival, the President’s Trophy-winning Boston Bruins, and made quick work of the talented team in five games, again clinching the series in extra time with a double-overtime victory. Next up were the New York Islanders, who had upset higher seeds in each of their first two series and had smother opposing defenses. The Isles couldn’t keep it going against the Lightning though, falling in six games with Tampa again winning the final game in overtime. Finally, the Stanley Cup Final arrived with a match-up against the Dallas Stars, who had defeated championship favorites Colorado and Vegas en route to the title bout. However, Dallas could not keep the upset streak going, with Tampa Bay taking the series in six games with a decisive shutout victory.
The Conn Smythe Trophy was a three-horse race on the Lightning side, with forwards Brayden Point and Nikita Kucherov and defenseman Victor Hedman all playing at a historic level. It was the Hedman though who received the award for postseason MVP, due in no small part to his ten goals, third-most for a defenseman in postseason history. Hedman totaled 21 points while averaging more than 26 minutes per night of solid defense in an outstanding all-around effort. Kucherov logged more assists than anyone not named Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux in league history and led all postseason participants with 33 points, which would have been enough to take the Conn Smythe almost any other year. With 32 points, including a league-leading 13 goals, Point was also invaluable to the team’s success. Finally, no team can win the Cup without a stellar performance in goal, and Andrei Vasilevskiy played every minute for Tampa and led the playoffs in save percentage
Also deserving plenty of praise and recognition for this Stanley Cup victory are the NHL and NHLPA, who made the postseason possible in light of difficult circumstances. The Coronavirus pandemic shut down the league back in March and nearly five months later the league and players’ association were able to work together to put together an expanded playoff format that produced months of exciting playoff hockey. After 64 days in the bubble, across two cities, there were zero positive COVID tests, allowing for the postseason to proceed without a hitch. Without this expert oversight, there easily could have been no Stanley Cup champion this season. Hockey fans will never forget what the league and its players, especially those on the Tampa Bay Lightning, were able to accomplish in this incredible summer postseason.
This is the equivalent of Virginia losing to the 16 seed and winning the next year.
Agreed. I was rooting for them after the caps got out simply because I felt bad for them. Shout out UMBC
Stick tap to TB.Good series.I am Disappointed; But every either team would love to be were the Stars were tonight..
Congrats to them.
Pat Maroon should be a hot commodity, guaranteed cup for whoever scoops him up this offseason.
Not sure he is the Don Baylor of hockey. I think he will go to a team close to his family.No clue where.Fa this year would be strange yet fun.
The Rangers should sign him up
Patrick Maroon is from St. Louis Missouri , where he won a Stanley Cup with them in the 2018-19 season.
I know. If he keeps playing Just go for $. He has had one year deals last 2 years.Who need’a vet, locker room guy? Jets? Oilers? NYR’s? Maybe the red wings and say’s “here guys look at my ring”, I do wonder where he end”s up. Your choice?
I wouldn’t mind him back with the Blues!!
he’s a passenger.
The “Bubble Cup” lol
This year I will believe anything
More I think about that; sounds like something you would give out in JR High school.Also a couple of idea’s I can’t repeat here.
Stamkos should have pulled the Sakic to Bourque move and handed the Cup to Hedman first.
Captain or not, a guy who played more than 3 minutes should hoist it first. A captain of all people should realize that.
Sakic already won a Cup, a lot easier to do.
Stamkos, his 12 years in the league and his soon-to-be Hall of Fame career deserved to hoist it first. Stamkos helped propel that organization to the top. Sakic/Bourque is an awful comparison.
You might be worse on hockey threads than you are baseball. I did not think that was possible.
starting to think he is just trolling tbh
I know. If he keeps playing Just go for $. He has had one year deals last 2 years.Who need’a vet, locker room guy? Jets? Oilers? NYR’s? Maybe the red wings and say’s “here guys look at my ring”, I do wonder where he end”s up. Your choice?
Bolts were on a mission from day one of last year’s exit and they wanted it more then any other team… Had something to prove….
Congrats to McDonagh! Not Shattenkirk though.
Congrats to the Bolts!
As we celebrate The Bolts Stanley cup success we have to thank the New York Rangers who have contributed in sending or allowing a number of players to come to the Bolts since 2014. Each has helped build the foundation for this current group. Beginning with Ryan Callahan to the present the Rangers have been what Kansas City was to the Ny Yankees years ago. The Yankees could always turn to KC when they needed a certain player to solidify their championship run. Steve Yzerman has also played a large role in instituting a winning attitude.
I wonder how many Stars are playing hurt, I bet even Khodbin is hurt too.
In no real order Tyler all playoffs.COMEAU,FASKA,HINTZ,BISHOP.I wonder if it’s a groin or knee injury.Johns I wonder if he is done..SEKERA,DOBBY,DICKINSON,JANKMARK,Those are just the pubic ones spoken of at one time.
Ratings for game 6 of last years final was 6.48 million viewers. Last nights game 6 appears to be have topped out at 3 million during the 9 to 10 o’clock hour.
You can make up your own minds for why that might be. :)
wonder what the ratings would have been with no return to play… hmm…
I dunno, but the replacement programming likely would have done better.
im sry ur team didnt win dude, hope u feel better
Thank you for the kind word. It help’s a bit.Tb will have to make a trade or 2 to get under the cap. They will have changes as well. Who wins the cup next season? hope there wearing Green and I don’t mean Vancouver.l
Crosby got his. Ovechkin got his. It was time for Stamkos. Hall of Fame awaits him.
Putting Tyler Johnson on waivers how rude. Should have left him as center . What was Jon Cooper thinking? Never get someone as good for Tampa Bay again. Stupid ,Stupid