For just the second time since the turn of the century, the NHL champion reigns for a second consecutive season. The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game Five at home on Wednesday night, cementing their back-to-back champion status after taking home the Stanley Cup in 2020 as well. Young Ross Colton scored the only goal of the game early in the second period and his teammates played tough defense to keep Montreal off the board for a shutout win to seal it.
The 2020-21 season was far different for the Lightning, though. In 2019-20, Tampa was a wire-to-wire favorite, leading the league in goals for and finishing second in goal differential, which earned them a share of the third-best record in the league. This year, the Lightning had their fair share of issues along the way, finishing only third in their own division and eighth overall in the league, falling to eighth in scoring and seventh in differential. Yet, in the postseason they were even better this time around than they were last year. In the 2020 playoffs, the Bolts recorded 3.08 goals for per game and 2.28 goals against per game, finished fifth in power play and penalty kill efficiency, and required extra time to win seven games. This year, Tampa Bay notched 3.26 goals for per game and led the postseason with 1.96 goals against per game, finished third and fourth respectively on the power play and penalty kill, and did not need overtime to win a single game.
Though it may not explain every difference between this season and last, it is hard to argue against the x-factor this season for the Lightning being Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov, the 2020 postseason scoring leader, missed the entire regular season after undergoing off-season hip surgery. While this cost Tampa one of the best players in the league, which could explain their regular season drop-off, the added salary cap space allowed the team to keep their championship roster together against all odds. Kucherov then returned to health in time for the playoff and again led the field in scoring – and by a wide margin. Having a fresh, energized Kucherov in the lineup was key to the Bolts’ success, especially as they faced several defensively skilled teams. While opinions differ on the integrity of how Tampa Bay managed Kucherov’s injury, the team stayed within the NHL’s rules and it led to a second consecutive title. While some may also argue that the Lightning’s back-to-back Stanley Cups came in the 2020 “bubble” playoffs and following a shortened 2020-21 season, it is difficult to see this roster not finding success under normal circumstances as well. Kucherov was followed in the 2021 playoff scoring race by four teammates – Brayden Point, Steven Stamkos, Victor Hedman, and Alex Killorn – to round out the top five, while Conn Smythe Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy had the best goaltending numbers of the postseason and was clutch when it mattered most, including a shutout to clinch all four series. The likes of Ondrej Palat, Anthony Cirelli, and Ryan McDonagh were also phenomenal for Tampa.
As for the other Stanley Cup finalist, the efforts of the Montreal Canadiens were valiant and will not soon be forgotten. The team with the worst regular season record in the postseason stunned two top-five teams en route to a completely improbable and unforeseen trip to the championship round. They will get a chance at revenge soon – Tampa Bay and Montreal will be back together in the Atlantic Division again next season, alongside several other top teams.
And, it’s all due to “Fatty Patty Hockey!” Three consecutive Cups with two different teams. And, Vassy wasn’t bad himself! Mr. Conn Smythe!
Habs fans explaining how they should have won:
I can’t complain since I got 3 cups in 3 years.
24 hours till the new NHL calendar starts
Now, how many of the talking heads will apologize to the Tampa mayor for carping on her wanting this outcome? I’ll take the under on none…
Are they in the locker room right now figuring out who will have surgery next?
The Hawks did it with Kane. The Bolts one upped them with Kucharov & Stamkos. The league looked into both cases. Get over it. Til the loophole is closed its a rush to who can capitalize next.
Kane was injured late in the season and came back before most doctors and pundits said he would. A bit different then out all season and then finally coming back when the playoffs start and being that productive.
Go home and cry toilet seat covers.
And now to figure out how to prevent future cap manipulation.
Tarasenko has requested a trade.
He should request a better surgeon.
That’s literally one of his issues is team drs and how they handled his injury
*
Go Bolts. Champa Bay.
If you wanna win the Cup, it’s proven to be pretty simple…all you have to do is sign Fatrick Maroon, load him up with Hawkins Cheezies and Old Fashioned Pilsner, and let the chips fall into place!
@HockeyDude77 – Or, let the Cups fall into place! “Fatty Patty Hockey” – it just works. Three in a row and counting!
Nice to see the Cup won in the free state of Florida!
But as good as the Bolts are, they don’t even get to the finals without Vasilevskiy. He’s the best goalie in the game today.
It is nice that Tampa was able to hoist the Cup at home since they had to play in EDM to avoid the south’s Covid surge last year.
And you’d think a Preds fan who understands the value of Vasilevski would NOT slag Poile’s best recent move, drafting Askarov…
And you completely miss the obvious point that obtaining herd immunity early on is exactly why Florida is open and free and Canada is now in lockdown mode almost a year and a half after the beginning of the “pandemic”. Florida handled it right.
But I’m glad you have a crystal ball and know what type of goalie Askarov will turn out to be. You should set up a fortune teller stand.
There’s no reason to make everything political man. We come here for hockey. I don’t agree with you, but this isn’t the place to discuss these things, otherwise we’re just hijacking these threads.
Perhaps you should do some research before flapping your gums gbear. Canada is not locked down. Some provinces are enforcing some stricter rules but in Alberta its business as usual. No masks, no restrictions. But hey, you know what’s best for everyone everywhere clown.
This is a hockey board not politics you effing clown. Go to CNN if you want to discuss that crap.
The team will look substantially different next season. While the Core will still be there, they will lose some key role players that played an integral part of this championship.
Right, that’s the story I want to find explained. What is the cap crunch going to do to this team going forward? How much do they stand to lose from the incredible depth or do they have a path to be no less formidable next season?
They won’t do it, but…Tampa’s best chance to repeat (3peat technically) is to trade Stamkos in order to keep the Gourde line intact.
You said that last year and were wrong. I’m going to assume their best chance isn’t to trade their captain and an all time great.
In order for me to have been “wrong” about it last year, they would have had to trade or shed a different player or combination of players instead of Stamkos and then gone on to win anyway.
That’s not what happened.
Instead they stashed Kucherov on IR (knowing Gary didn’t have the stones to stop them) and were not forced to shed anyone.
The can has been kicked to the end of the road.
IF they keep Stamkos and lose most or all of the Gourde line instead and still win again, then I will be wrong.
Captain, yes. All time great? Compared to who? Stamkos is the second line right winger. The Pointe and Gourde lines have driven these titles, not him.
CacaPeePee, the person you’re arguing with never admits they’re wrong even when all evidence proves otherwise. It’s a curious thing to observe.
That Ross Colton profile picture on hockey reference linked above is hilarious. Looks like they pulled his yearbook photo, where he went to school thirty years ago (or they have a photographer who hasn’t changed at all).
Guess he wasn’t present for team photos in Lightning uniform this year, or TB skipped the session in this weird season.
That’s Ross showing his immaculate hockey hair before he imagined he would score a Stanley cup winning goal. Back in about grade 9, grew and feathered that out for 2 years before that pic.
Kucherov Is the best. His interview was so funny.