A repeat of the feat in Tampa
Game 5: Lightning 1, Canadiens 0
Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy hoists the Stanley Cup after the Lightning downed the Montreal Canadiens 10 in Game 5 of the Finals to successfully defend their NHL title. For the story,
TAMPA, Fla. — Instead of calling team captain Steven Stamkos over to accept the Stanley Cup on Wednesday night, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman beckoned the Tampa Bay Lightning over as a team.
The Lightning concluded another pandemic hockey season like they did the previous one, winning their second NHL championship in 10 months. Just as Stamkos had gathered his teammates around the Cup in September, they put their hands all over the trophy before parading it around the ice.
It was a familiar sight for the backtoback champions, even if it was different in every possible way.
After the Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 10 to end the Finals in five games, Stamkos hoisted the Cup in front of 18,110 fans — 18,110 more than were on hand for the clincher in September.
Pyrotechnics went off around him to celebrate not only Tampa Bay winning during a pandemic once again but the end of another grueling season played against the backdrops of protocols and restrictions. Stamkos took another lap with the Cup and players held up their phones to capture video of the fans and confetti that fell from the rafters.
“Full arena, incredible energy and another championship in Tampa,” Bettman said. “It feels like things are normal.”
Playoff MVP Andrei Vasilevskiy had a seriesending shutout for an NHLrecord fifth consecutive time dating to the 2020 Finals. Finishing with a handful in a frantic final minute, he made 22 saves to remain undefeated in games after a loss over the past two playoffs.
“This group, to go backtoback after everything we went through last year in the bubble, to go through this year — ups and downs — it’s amazing,” Stamkos said.
Ross Colton and David Savard weren’t around last year and made sure to put their stamp on Tampa Bay’s latest title run. Savard set up Colton’s goal midway through the second period.
“To do it in front of our fans and our families, it’s so special, special,” defenseman Victor Hedman said. “It’s out of this world.“
The scene couldn’t have been any further from the mirthless, empty arena where the Lightning won the Cup in September in a quarantined bubble across the continent in Edmonton, Alberta. Tampa Bay joined Pittsburgh as the only backtoback Cup winner in the salarycap era.
“It’s unbelievable, the injuries these guys are playing with, the heart these guys have, man,” forward Blake Coleman said. “It takes a hell of a lot to get here once. It takes even more to get here twice. I can’t tell you how much these guys mean to me.“