Stanley Cup Playoffs: Stanley Cup Final Review

An excellent season and a thrilling postseason culminated in an exciting series for the ultimate prize in sports featuring the two best teams in the league. In the lead-up to Game 1, this series was set to either coronate the league's newest dynasty or serve as the crowning moment for a team that has often underperformed in the postseason despite their immense star power. What we got was an exciting and memorable final between two spirited squads. I'd also like to brag and say that I called it. Here is the review of the Stanley Cup Final. 

Stanley Cup Final Review

Tampa Bay Lightning v. Colorado Avalanche

Game 1- "It's Going to be One of Those Series"- Colorado 4, Tampa Bay 3 (OT)

From the drop of the puck for the first game, Colorado looked to be in control. Captain Gabriel Landeskog opened the scoring and Valeri Nichushkin doubled the lead less than two minutes later to lead 2-0 before the midway point of the period. Nick Paul got the Bolts on the board to cut the lead in half, but Conference Finals hero Artturi Lehkonen scored on the power play to re-establish the two-goal lead. It looked like Colorado was going to run away with the first game. Tampa Bay had different plans. Ondrej Palat and Mikhail Sergachev scored 48 seconds apart in the second period to tie the game and reassure everyone that the Lightning were going to make this a tough one for the Avs. After playing a scoreless third period, the teams would settle to decide this in overtime. It didn't take very long to end it. The Avs broke into the zone after a poor dump-in and though the initial shot was blocked, Nichushkin found Andre Burakovsky to beat the outstretched pad of Andrei Vasilevskiy and draw first blood in the series.

Game 2- "I Didn't Know Murders Were Allowed on Television"- Colorado 7, Tampa Bay 0

The second bout felt a lot like the first but it didn't end the same way. The Avalanche got it going early again with Nichushkin picking up another goal on the power play less than three minutes in. Josh Manson joined the fun with his first of the series soon after and Burakovsky added another to make it 3-0 after the first period. Nichushkin scored his second of the night and third of the series early in the second period and Darren Helm beat Vasilevskiy clean to make it 5-0 and made everyone ask if Jon Cooper should consider sitting his star goalie to save him for Game 3. He decided not to and things didn't get any better, Cale Makar buried a short-handed goal before adding another on the power play to make it 7-0, which is where the game would end up. Before the night was over, a huge line brawl broke out between the two sides with 17 minor penalties being called as the heat began to rise as the Avs took a 2-0 series lead. Six Avs finished with multi-point nights, including two-goal nights for Makar and Nichuskin while Mikko Rantanen added three assists to give him five through two games. 

Game 3- "Now That's More Like It"- Tampa Bay 6, Colorado 2

With the series shifting to Tampa Bay, many saw this as a do-or-die game for the Lightning. Things didn't start the way they wanted them to. Landeskog scored another goal on the power play for the Avs to jump out to an early lead, but Anthony Cirelli and Palat got the Bolts on the board twice in 1:51 to give them their first lead of the series through 20 minutes. Paul scored his second of the series 1:26 into the second period, but he was answered quickly by Landeskog with his second goal on the power play of the night. With the game now sitting at 3-2, Tampa Bay took over for the rest of the night. Steven Stamkos and Pat Maroon chased Darcy Kuemper from the game and Corey Perry welcomed Pavel Prancouz with a goal on the power play for the Lightning to take a 6-2 lead. Neither goalie would give up anything in the third period, giving Tampa Bay their first win of the series and ensuring that Colorado would get a fifth game. Rantanen continued his hot play with two more assists, giving him seven in three games. The Bolts seemed to come alive with their big stars finally showing up when they needed them to. 

Game 4- "Welcome Back, Mr. Kadri"- Colorado 3, Tampa Bay 2 (OT)

The big story coming into Game 4 was the return to the lineup of Nazem Kadri after being taken out with a thumb injury in the Western Conference Final. After a career year for Kadri, he was going to be looked upon to provide a spark for Colorado. The Bolts didn't seem to care all that much as Cirelli scored just 36 seconds into the game to set the tone for the home crowd. It'd be the only goal of the period as the Lightning led 1-0 after the first. Nathan MacKinnon finally found the back of the net with a goal on the power play to tie things up early in the second period, but Victor Hedman didn't let the good feeling last as he gave the Lightning their lead back going into the third period. Early in the final period of regulation, Niko Sturm put a rebound towards the net that deflected off the leg of Andrew Cogliano and into the back of the net to tie it up. Neither team would muster much else in the period and the goalies held it down again to force the second overtime gave of the series. It took a little bit longer the second time around and it didn't come without a little controversy. Nazem Kadri, who'd been held scoreless in his return, took a pass from Lehkonen and beat Vasilevskiy top shelf and it took a second, but the referees finally found it lodged in the top to secure the win and put the Avalanche on the verge of winning the Stanley Cup. After the game, Cooper made some comments to suggest that the game was stolen from his team, and upon further inspection, it looked like Colorado may have had six skaters on the ice when the Kadri game-winner was scored, It didn't garner much sympathy from fans outside of the Bolts' fanbase but it certainly made us all think. 

Game 5- "Keeping the Dream Alive"- Tampa Bay 3, Colorado 2

The Stanley Cup would be in the building for the first time in the series as the Avalanche looked to finish things in front of their fans. Things were pretty quiet until Jan Rutta unleashed a bomb of a slapshot that Kuemper saw the entire way but couldn't get in front of to get the Bolts on the board late in the opening period. Nichushkin would ignite the crowd by scoring his fourth of the series early in the second period but just like in Game 4, Tampa Bay would respond quickly. Nikita Kucherov scored on the power play to regain the lead and pull them within 20 minutes of forcing a sixth game. Makar brought things back to even 2:31 into the third period with his third of the series and gave the fans some hope that it would only take one more. In their defense, it did just take one to win the game, but the Cup would not be raised on this night. Palat scored yet another clutch goal for the Lightning in the postseason to give them the lead and it would stay that way for the final 6:22 as they lived to fight another day. 

Game 6- "Coronation for Colorado"- Colorado 2, Tampa Bay 1

After failing to get the job done in Denver, the Cup would be heading to Florida, a place it is very familiar with. While the Lightning couldn't win it in Game 6, they were trying to hold onto their season with another win while facing elimination. For the third game in a row, Stamkos got the Lightning on the board first with an early tally. The Avalanche didn't look like they could get anything going, which didn't bode well for their chances of finishing things. Luckily for them, it was only 1-0 after the first period and they came out angry in the second. It was a very angry MacKinnon that carried the team on his back, scoring the tying goal just under two minutes into the second period and then setting up Lehkonen for his eighth of the postseason to put the Avalanche in the lead with just 20 minutes until they reached the peak. While one-goal leads weren't accustomed to staying intact for most of this series, things were different in this one. The defense of the Avalanche shut things down and Kuemper would be perfect in the third period as the Avalanche ran down the clock. As the seconds ticked away and the puck stayed down in their offensive zone, the dream had become a reality. The clock struck all zeros and the players poured from the bench to surround Kuemper to celebrate their first Stanley Cup win since 2001.