TAMPA BAY – The Tampa Bay Lightning have eliminated the New York Rangers and advanced to the Stanley Cup Finals for the third consecutive season, with the Colorado Avalanche rested and ready for Game 1 (Wednesday, 8 ET, ESPN).
Here are five things we’ve learned about Lightning so far in their 2022 postseason journey and what they mean for the final showdown.
The three-peat is within reach
The NHL has not had a three-man team as Stanley Cup champions since 1983, when the New York Islanders ended their dynasty. Since then, six more teams have won the Stanley Cup in a row. Five of them didn’t make it to the second round until Lightning won the East this season.
“You don’t get those opportunities often. They don’t come. It’s like we’ve seen the top of the mountain. Let’s go on for more,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.
It’s a classic showdown for the Stanley Cup: The Colorado Avalanche, which is finally trying to break away from winning its first Cup since 2001 after a few years as top contender; and the Lightning, now just four wins away from an unprecedented achievement in the NHL era of salary cap, which began in 2005.
“Getting there the first time was a dream come true. Getting there a second time, the following year, was also a dream. There was no way back. Going there for the third time is amazing.” said Cooper. “To see their growth, to see the pain … I’m very impressed with what they do to win a hockey game. No one would blame them for saying ‘eh, we won one or two.’ But go for a third? I’m very impressed “.
To win a third straight Cup, Lightning will have to defeat what Stamkos believes is the best team in the NHL.
“Colorado? Probably the best team in the league,” Stamkos said. “As you progress through the playoffs, each round gets tougher and each opponent gets tougher. There’s a reason there are two teams left, and that’s because they’re the two best teams. We’ll have our hands full.”
(Mostly) old faces, same success
The Avalanche faces a Lightning team whose core is essentially the same as the teams that won consecutive cups.
The Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning face off in the Stanley Cup final. You can watch all seven games on ABC, ESPN +, and the ESPN app.
Game 1: Wednesday, June 15, 8 ET (@ COL) Game 2: Saturday, June 18, 8 ET (@ COL) Game 3: Monday, June 20, 8 ET (@ TB) Game 4: Wednesday. , June 22, 8 ET (@ TB) Game 5 *: Friday, June 24, 8 ET (@ COL) Game 6 *: Sunday, June 26, 8 ET (@ TB) Game 7 *: Tuesday, June 28, 8 ET (@ COL)
*If necessary
Tampa Bay is powered by stars:
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Center Steven Stamkos, the team captain with 481 goals in his career
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Winger Nikita Kucherov, former MVP of the league and top scorer in the playoffs
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Center Brayden Point, who missed nearly two rounds of injury but has scored more playoff goals than any other player in the last three post-seasons.
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Defender Victor Hedman, nominated for six consecutive seasons in the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defense and MVP of the playoffs in 2020
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Defender Ryan McDonagh, a consistent veteran
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Goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy, the MVP of the playoffs in 2021
They are backed by a cast of characters including winger Ondrej Palat, who scored two winning goals against the Rangers to avoid overtime; strong forwards Alex Killorn and Pat Maroon, who are trying to play their fourth consecutive Cup winner; central defender Anthony Cirelli, who closed the Rangers’ top line; and Mikhail Sergachev’s defense of soft skating.
One of the most impressive things about this race? That Lightning lost their entire line of control and some key players from the last two Cup victories; replaced them with low-season veteran pickups (Corey Perry, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare) and commercial deadline acquisitions (Brandon Hagel, Nick Paul); and no rhythm has been lost.
“We were looking for an adjustment,” CEO Julien BriseBois said. “We’re looking for guys who have pride and ambition. Pride is what will keep you struggling when things don’t go well for you. Ambition will fuel your continued success. You’re still hungry for more.”
Kucherov is the elite
Kucherov is a skilled goal scorer, and he also has an elite playing ability. Mark LoMoglio / NHLI via Getty Images
Avalanche and Lightning have elite skaters who can take care of the games. Kucherov is the main one. Kucherov has 23 points in 17 games, fairly evenly distributed between 5 and 5 and power. No NHL player has scored more points than Kucherov in the last three seasons. Although his ability to score goals is elite, it is his ability to play and his distribution of the record that allows him to accumulate points.
Look no further than the conference finals. His perfect pass to Ondrej Palat marked the winning goal in match 3, with the whole arena thinking about overtime. In the sixth game, his pass to Stamkos while the captain scored on the net set the winning goal and the series.
It is a marker of the rhythm of the Lightning. When they have confidence and move offensively, they realize. “You can listen to the talk on the bench when it comes out [the ice]. The guys know your best player is “activated” in a big game, “Stamkos said.
If Lightning wins a third consecutive Stanley Cup, it could be Kucherov’s turn to lift the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.
Can the Avs beat Vasilevsky?
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Colorado took some goalkeeper breaks this postseason. The Nashville Predators did not have injured starter Juuse Saros. The St. The Louis Blues lost a Jordan Binnington resurfaced from injury in Game 3. And Edmonton Oilers goalkeeper Mike Smith was … well, Mike Smith.
Opposing goalkeepers have a combined .886 save percentage against Avalanche this postseason. But except for the unexpected, the Avalanche will face its toughest competition for the net in the Stanley Cup final, and the player many consider the best goalkeeper in the world.
The postseason didn’t start very well for Vasilevsky, as he conceded 22 goals in seven games to the high-octane Toronto Maple Leafs. But it was great when it mattered most, he stopped 30 of the 31 shots in game 7. Aside from a hiccup in the first game against the Rangers, after a nine-day layoff, Vasilevskiy has been absolutely dominant. As coach Jon Cooper said, he regained “his mojo” as the playoffs passed.
In Vasilevsky, the Avalanche faces one of the best postseason goalkeepers in NHL history. Not only is he good, but he is at his best: in previous 23 games, Vasilevsky averaged 1.65 goals and six goals. A third consecutive Stanley Cup could consolidate his legacy as one of the best ever.
“When we look back, when we grow up, that’s going to be something that will stay there a long time. It’s really nice to play with a player who will become one of the best I’ve ever played,” Killorn said. dit. “That’s how players are measured: how they play in big games. It’s been great in those games.”
This ability to adapt to the championship
The Avs have not faced a goalkeeper of the caliber of Andrei Vasilevskiy this postseason. Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images
During their run to the final, the Avalanche has been a team that can win an 8-6 game with the same comfort that can win a 4-0 blank. In fact, they both did it in the same series against the Edmonton Oilers. As Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon said, the Avalanche can play with a flowery offensive at home and then play “boring and dirty” hockey on the road to slow down teams.
Avalanche cooks with a recipe that the Lightning created in their last two championship seasons. Tampa Bay has the offensive players to go goal to goal with the Avalanche, who leads the playoffs with 4.64 goals per game. But the Lightning also have the ability to win 1-0, with veteran players embodying the patient balance needed to do so.
“I think it’s just believing in ourselves and believing in the work you do. But trust is the word. We trust every person who goes through these tables to do their job. Whether you score a goal or not, it’s the “It’s the little things you do. It’s the defense. It’s the blocked shots. It’s the sacrifice. Don’t complain about your role. It’s going out and playing as hard as you can for the guy sitting next to you in that locker room.” dir Stamkos.
“That’s why this group is so special. We don’t know what’s going to happen here in the next 10-14 days. But we know we’re going to give it our all.”
It is unknown at this time what he will do after leaving the post. -the. They have Vasilevskiy as their backbone. They have Hedman and McDonagh playing for about 47 minutes per game between them. They have a newly formed line of control with Hagel, Cirelli and Killorn, who dominated the Rangers in 5-on-5, and a collection of strikers who are proud to defend by any means necessary.
“Is it contagious? It does. God forbid you look at a boy [block a shot] and then you have the opportunity to do so. You come to the sidewalk and it’s not a fun place if you’re not willing to do it. So the guys line up in that direction, “Cooper said.” That’s been the story with us for a few years. It’s integrated into our culture. “
A championship culture and one that should make an exceptional Stanley Cup final against the Avalanche.
Stamkos said the Avalanche was a team Lightning hoped had already played for the Stanley Cup. Colorado did not advance to the second round in three consecutive seasons.
“Now they’ve broken. They just have an amazing mix of veteran players, star power, mills, goalkeepers. A big challenge for us,” Stamkos said. “We know how to play. It’s no secret that they have electric players.”
Like lightning. They can run and shoot. But it is most likely that it is their defense that can make the difference between becoming the sixth team since 1983 to fail to achieve a …