The Tampa Bay Lightning are headed back to the Stanley Cup Final for the second straight year.
The Bolts earned their ticket to the final round on Friday night, taking down the pesky New York Islanders in Game 7 after missing their chance to clinch one game prior.
STANLEY CUP FINAL BOUND
The defending champions are headed back to the #StanleyCup Final and will take on the @CanadiensMTL.#ItsOn | #GoBolts pic.twitter.com/cjWQO2sLMD
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) June 26, 2021
Barry Trotz’s club refused to go away in the semifinal series — after taking Game 1 only to fall to Tampa in Games 2 and 3, the Islanders fought back to even the series in Game 4, courtesy of an epic last-second shot block by Ryan Pulock to preserve their one-goal lead.
Tampa followed that up with a dominant 8-0 drubbing to put the Isles on the ropes. New York answered with a comeback overtime win in Game 6 to, once again, even things up.
But in the end, the Lightning managed to seal the series win, giving them a chance to become the first team to win back-to-back Cups since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017, and only the second since the Detroit Red Wings in the late ’90s.
First, they’ll have to get through the Montreal Canadiens, back in the Final for the first time since ’93, the last time they — or any Canadian team — lifted silver.
Game 1 of the Cup Final will be Monday, with the puck dropping at 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT.
More to come.
