For the first time since 2001 and the third time ever, the Colorado Avalanche are Stanley Cup champions.
The Avalanche defeated the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 on Sunday to take the series 4-2.
The Lightning opened the scoring just three minutes in courtesy of captain Steven Stamkos, but the Avalanche stormed back in the second period with goals from Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen, and that was all they needed to secure the win.
The victory marks the completion of a dominant run through the playoffs by the Avalanche. Their quest for the Cup began with a sweep of the Nashville Predators in Round 1, before defeating the St. Louis Blues in Round 2 and sweeping the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final.
Once in the Final, Colorado kicked things off with 4-3 and 7-0 wins at home to take a 2-0 lead. The Lightning and Avalanche then split Games 3 and 4 in Tampa, and the Lightning held on to win in Game 5 before Sunday’s loss.
When the Avalanche won in 2001, a star-studded cast of captain Joe Sakic, Peter Forsberg, Ray Bourque, Rob Blake and Patrick Roy lead the team to glory. This time around Sakic is the general manager, and iced a talent-filled team with Cale Makar, MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen and Nazem Kadri, just to name a few.
Colorado had four skaters produce 20 points or more in its 20 games these playoffs: Makar (29), Rantanen (25), MacKinnon (24) and Landeskog (22). Kadri, who missed time due to injury, registered 15 points in 16 games.
For the Lightning, it’s a first playoff series loss since 2019 — when they were swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in Round 1 after winning the Presidents’ Trophy. No team has completed a three-peat in the NHL since the 1980s Islanders.
More to come.
