The Tampa Bay Lightning captured their second consecutive NHL title after beating the Montreal Canadiens, 1-0, in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final. Ross Colton scored the match-winner with 6:33 remaining in the second period to give Tampa Bay the 4-1 series win.
Colton and Savard the heroes for Tampa Bay
Colton scored off a pass from David Savard to net the game's only goal. It was only fitting that the two players connected for Tampa Bay's championship-winning goal as they are the only two players in the Lightning lineup without their names engraved on the Stanley Cup.
Colton is a rookie who wasn't with Tampa Bay during its championship-winning run in the bubble last year, while the veteran Savard was a trade-deadline acquisition by the Lightning who had never made it past the second round of the playoffs before.
Colton's goal was crucial for Tampa Bay as the Lightning have been impressive frontrunners in the playoffs. They improved to 14-0 in games following a loss over the past two Stanley Cup runs.
With the win, the Lightning have now joined the Pittsburgh Penguins (2016-2017) as the only teams to win the Stanley Cup back-to-back in the salary-cap era that started back in 2005. They are the first time since the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015 to hoist the Stanley Cup trophy on home ice.
Related Article: Luka Doncic Leads Slovenia Into Tokyo Olympics; Germany, Czech Republic, Italy Also Qualify
Vasilevskiy records another shutout in series-clincher
Also starring for Tampa Bay in the Game 5 win was goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. He has now posted five consecutive shutouts in series-clinchers, earning every win in Tampa Bay Lightning's back-to-back Stanley Cup runs. He made 22 saves on Wednesday as he thwarted Montreal's attack the entire night.
The Lightning started the game strongly but could not find a way past Montreal goalie Carey Price. They held a 13-8 advantage in shot attempts and a 16-8 edge in controlled entries during the first period, which finished goalless.
Colton finally broke the deadlock in the second period after a faceoff in their offensive zone. He immediately rushed to the net after the referee dropped the puck and tapped in Savard's pass for the biggest goal of his young NHL career thus far.
That goal proved to be enough, as Vasilevskiy showed why he is the best goalie in the NHL today in the closing stages of Game 5. He has been tremendous, especially in games following a Tampa Bay loss in these playoffs, never losing once. He stopped 135 of 141 shots during those games, including Wednesday night's season finale against the Canadiens. Vasilevskiy was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as he was named the playoff MVP, to no one's surprise.
It wasn't just Vasilevskiy, though, who starred in this magical run of Tampa Bay. Nikita Kucherov, who underwent hip surgery on December 29 and was sidelined for Tampa Bay's entire regular season, returned just in time for Game 1 of the first round and has been sensational ever since. He led all scorers with 32 points in these playoffs, nine more than any other player.
READ MORE ON SWN:
John Cena planning WWE return at SummerSlam 2021 to face Roman Reigns
The Switch is On: LeBron James to Change Los Angeles Lakers Jersey From No. 23 to No. 6
© Copyright 2024 Sports World News, All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
