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The Colorado Avalanche dethroned the Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday to take their third Stanley Cup championship in franchise history with a 2-1 win in Game 6 to capture the title.
Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen scored the goals, while the Avalanche put in an incredible defensive effort in the third period to seal the win.
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Colorado Avalanche center Nathan MacKinnon greets teammates after scoring during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning on June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
MacKinnon got the equalizer past Lightning goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy at 1:54 in the second period, and Artturi Lehkonen got the go-ahead at 12:28 – and it was all the Avalanche needed.
Until Tampa Bay drew Vasilevskiy, their offense was almost non-existent. The team only had two shots on target until they put the sixth man in the zone, and even then, Colorado kept the pressure on the Lightning.
Darcy Kuemper stopped 22 shots, and his counterpart, Vasilevskiy, had 28 saves.
The Lightning started strong, with Steven Stamkos getting one past Kuemper. It looked like Tampa Bay would send the game back to Denver until MacKinnon’s goal. However, it was the only goal Tampa Bay got, and it wasn’t nearly enough.
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Colorado defenseman Cale Makar, who won the Norris trophy, was named the Conn Smythe trophy winner as the best player in the Stanley Cup playoffs. He finished with 29 points in the postseason.
Colorado Avalanche left wing Artturi Lehkonen (62) reacts after scoring against Tampa Bay Lightning goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy (88) during the second period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Florida. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog was awarded the Stanley Cup trophy for being the first to hold it. As a teenager, he captained the Avalanche and put in an incredible season that ended with a championship.
The Avalanche finished with a franchise record of 119 points and was the Western Conference’s top team. Joe Sakic, who was on the team when the Avalanche last won the Stanley Cup title in 2001, assembled the team that won this year’s championship. He serves as the team’s executive vice president of hockey operations.
Colorado Avalanche star Nazem Kadri wins the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Some longtime NHL veterans are earning their first Stanley Cup titles, including Jack Johnson, who was in his 15th season; Andrew Cogliano, who was in his 14th season; and Erik Johnson, who was in his 13th season. Darren Helm and Andre Burakovsky each won their second cup.
The Lightning fought back for a shot at their third title.
Tampa Bay has put itself in a position to do something that hasn’t been done since the New York Islanders of the early 1980s: win three consecutive titles. But it was put on hold when they met their match in the Avalanche.
Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos reacts after scoring his goal during the first period of Game 6 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals against the Colorado Avalanche on Sunday, June 26, 2022, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
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Colorado finished 16-4 in the postseason and 56-19-7 in the regular season.
