The Tampa Bay Lightning needed an extra 3 1/2 months than they anticipated due to a global pandemic, but they exorcised any lingering demons from last season when they hoisted the Stanley Cup after a 2-0 win against the Dallas Stars in Game 6 of the Cup Final at Rogers Place in Edmonton on Monday.
Sixty-four days after they landed July 26 in Toronto, the hub city for the first two rounds of the Eastern Conference Playoffs and their place of business for six weeks before moving to Edmonton for the conference final and the Cup Final, they won the Cup that eluded them in 2019 after they tied the NHL single-season record with 62 regular-season wins (1995-96 Detroit Red Wings).
The Lightning were swept in four games by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round last season. They blew a 3-0 lead against Columbus in Game 1, lost 4-3 and couldn't recover.
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But things went differently this time. The Lightning won four one-goal games against the Blue Jackets in the first round, including 3-2 in Game 1 on Aug. 11 that ended on Brayden Point's goal at 10:27 of the fifth overtime, the fourth-longest game in NHL history. They then eliminated the Presidents' Trophy-winning Boston Bruins in five games to advance to the conference final. Tampa Bay needed six games to defeat the New York Islanders.
"That might have turned the tables for us," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said of the journey beginning with the marathon win against the Blue Jackets. "Because if we don't win that game, all of a sudden, doubt creeps in. We had a pretty resilient group, but you need to see some sort of success; you need to feel it, you need to taste it.
"… If we don't win that game, who knows? Now Columbus, they might be in our head. But when we won that game, I think that was a catapult for where we are right now."
Right now, the Lightning are champions. They're champions for their resilience, evidenced by the 6-0 record they had after a loss in the playoffs, including the win Monday that came two nights after a 3-2 double-overtime loss in Game 5. Tampa Bay was 11-3 in one-goal games and 6-2 in overtime.
And the Lightning did it without captain Steven Stamkos for all but 2:47 of a 5-2 win in Game 3 of this best-of-7 series because of a lower-body injury. The forward scored on his second shift.
"After what happened last year, there was definitely a chip on our shoulder," Stamkos said. "So many people counted us out because of what happened. We kept the same core together, we added some vital pieces in the offseason, at the [NHL] Trade Deadline, and we just came together."
Video: TBL@DAL, Gm6: Stamkos on winning first Cup title
Without Stamkos, the top line of Point, Nikita Kucherov and Ondrej Palat stepped up. Kucherov led the NHL in points (34) and assists (27) this postseason; Point scored his NHL-leading 14th goal at 12:23 of the first period Monday on the power play to make it 1-0. It also set a Lightning record for the most goals in a single postseason; forward Tyler Johnson scored 13 in 2015. Palat scored 18 points (11 goals, seven assists).
"What was special about this group is it took everybody," Point said. "Everyone had their moment and everyone chipped in. … Everyone contributed to this win."
Especially defenseman Victor Hedman, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy voted as most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs with 22 points (10 goals, 12 assists). Hedman played at least 25 minutes in each of the last three games.
"You could make a case for every single guy on this team," Hedman said. "… But the big silver thing is the one we're after. We're going to take this to our grave. We're so happy."
Video: TBL@DAL, Gm6: Hedman receives Conn Smythe Trophy
Blake Coleman, a forward acquired in a trade with the New Jersey Devils on Feb. 16, made it 2-0 with a one-timer from the right circle at 7:01 of the second period.
"Just professionals in this locker room from Day One," Coleman said. "They have so much talent. So much depth, I mean it was a whirlwind of an experience (getting traded) and it took a little while to settle in, but I'm so proud to be part of this group. I mean, you saw how talented and how strong of a team it is. It's so much fun."
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who started all 25 games for the Lightning this postseason, made 21 saves and one he didn't receive credit for at 9:22 of the second period when he got his left toe on Joel Kiviranta's shot while lying on his back after being bumped by Stars forward Corey Perry.
It was a clear sign the Lightning were not about to let this opportunity slip away, not after what happened last season and not after their first opportunity to win the Cup in 2020 slipped away Saturday. Vasilevskiy saved all 14 shots he faced in the third period for his lone shutout of the postseason.
"This team is absolutely amazing," Stamkos said. "Everything we've gone through as a team, the ups, the downs, the doubters. We proved them all wrong."
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