Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen stood for each goal and Darcy Kuemper saved 22 of 23 shots as the Colorado Avalanche defeated Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 away at Amalie Arena – securing the organization’s first Stanley Cup title since 2001.
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– I have dreamed about this and worked for it for over 20 years now, said Avalanche team captain Gabriel Landeskog after the game. That everything comes together now after these crazy years and all the hard work … this group is fantastic, from the players to the employees to our partners to the fans to everyone who works in Ball Arena. Just absolutely incredible.
Landeskog received the Stanley Cup from Deputy NHL Commissioner Bill Daly after the game. Gary Bettman was unable to attend as he tested positive for Covid-19.
– Our GM [Joe Sakic] has done a great job of strengthening the team with pieces that made us incredibly difficult to play against, Landeskog continued. Guys like Cogliano, like Darren Helmas Nico Sturm, like Manson, all those guys. Guys who did everything to win. It made us tough to beat.
After losing 3-2 in game 5 and missing the opportunity to win the Stanley Cup at home in the Ball Arena, Denver, it was a revenge-hungry Avalanche who in game 6 turned a 0-1 deficit after the first period, signed Steven Stamkosto defend a 2-1 lead all the way into goal.
Video: TBL-COL, M6: Byram plays MacKinnon
Nathan MacKinnon equalized to 1-1 1:54 into the second period, with assists to team captain Gabriel Landeskog, and Finnish Artturi Lehkonen was booked for another big goal in his career when he put 2-1 12:28 into the middle.
Despite Lightning’s pursuit of a draw, Avalanche won the shots with 30-23 in total and 9-4 in the third period – and Lightning’s goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy was once again sharp for his team in an elimination match (93.3%). Kuemper’s figures, however, were slightly better, this time (95.7%).
Video: TBL-COL, M6: Lehkonen makes it 2-1 for Colorado
The Avalanche result in this year’s playoffs thus lands on the final 16-4. The team never lost two games in a row and never lost in any series in this year’s playoffs.
Nathan MacKinnon, with his goal in match 6, stepped up in a split lead (together with the Edmonton Oilers Evander Kane) in the playoffs total total of 13 hits. MacKinnon, who was drafted as the first player overall by Avalanche in 2013, is one of the players who has been in the organization for the longest time.
“I can hardly believe it,” MacKinnon said. It’s crazy. I long to hug my family. This is difficult to describe. I did not know what it would feel like to win, but after seeing this gang of warriors fight so hard for it … an incredible feeling. Words can not do justice to how I feel in this moment.
– There is nothing I can complain about. We’ve had some tough years during my time here, but it’s all worth it now. We never lost faith in ourselves. To see the guys who have been here for ten years, those who came to the club when they were type 18 as ‘Gabe’ (Landeskog) win … to see guys who Erik Johnson, Andrew Cogliano, Jack Johnson, Josh Manson and all our veterans celebrate. Guys who have not won before. Incredible.
For Avalanche, the title is, as is well known, the team’s first since 2001 – and third overall after also winning in 1996. Landeskog and Andre Burakovsky are the first Swedes to win the Stanley Cup with Avalanche since Peter Forsberg succeeded with the feat ’96 and ’01.
For Landeskog, the title is his first, while Burakovsky wins his second (Washington Capitals, 2018).
Video: TBL-COL, M6: Captain Landeskog receives the Stanley Cup
Lightning, who won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021, missed the opportunity to become the first team since the New York Islanders in the early 1980s to win the Cup on at least three occasions in a row.
“The playoff suite ends here, but this is not the end of our history,” said Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. Sometimes you do not remember as much of the teams that did not win, but for my part I think I will remember this team best. What the guys went through, the injuries. It is well documented how tough they are. If you only saw what our locker room looked like sometimes. I have never seen anything like it or been more proud than I am of this group. I will always remember them, even though we did not win. The loss itself is heavy, though.
Norris Trophy-winning hill Cale Makar was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy; the award given to the most valuable players of the playoffs. Spouses accounted for a total of 29 points (8 + 21) in 20 matches.
– I can only look at and be impressed by these guys and how hard they worked, said Makar and gestured towards his celebrating teammates. ‘EJ’, Nate, ‘Landy’, Mikko Rantanen… they have been here for so long, experienced ups and downs over the years. It’s so wonderful to see them being rewarded. Seeing their hard work over the years pay off. I’m so proud of them. It’s just absolutely wonderful.
The playoffs’ points are taken home Connor McDavid, which was noted for 33 points (10 + 23) in just 16 matches. The best from the final team was just Makar, with his 29 points. Nikita Kucherov became the best scorer for Tampa Bay Lightning with his 27 points (8 + 19) in 22 games.
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