What we have realized concerning the Stanley Cup Ultimate-bound Lightning by means of three rounds

TAMPA BAY — The Tampa Bay Lightning have eradicated the New York Rangers and superior to the Stanley Cup Ultimate for the third straight season, with the Colorado Avalanche rested and prepared for Recreation 1 (Wednesday, Eight ET, ESPN).

Listed below are 5 issues we realized concerning the Lightning to this point of their 2022 postseason journey and what they imply for the ultimate showdown.

The three-peat is in attain

The NHL hasn’t had a workforce three-peat as Stanley Cup champion since 1983, when the New York Islanders completed off their dynasty. Since then, six different groups received back-to-back Stanley Cups. 5 of them did not advance previous the second spherical till the Lightning received the East this season.

“You do not get these possibilities typically. They do not come round. It is like we have seen the highest of the mountain. Let’s maintain going for extra,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper stated.

It is a basic matchup for the Stanley Cup: The Colorado Avalanche, attempting to lastly break by means of to win their first Cup since 2001 after a couple of years as a high contender; and the Lightning, now simply 4 wins away from an unprecedented achievement within the NHL’s salary-cap period, which began in 2005.

“To get there the primary time was a dream come true. To get there a second time, the subsequent 12 months, was a dream too. There was no manner we have been going again. To go a 3rd time is unbelievable,” Cooper stated. “To observe their development, watch the ache … I am totally impressed by what they do to win a hockey recreation. No person would fault them for saying ‘hey, we received one or two.’ However to go for a 3rd? I am rattling impressed.”

To win a 3rd straight Cup, the Lightning must defeat what Stamkos imagine is one of the best workforce within the NHL.

“Colorado? In all probability one of the best workforce within the league,” Stamkos stated. “As you progress by means of the playoffs, every spherical will get harder and every opponent will get harder. There is a motive why there’s two groups left, and it is as a result of they’re the 2 finest groups. We’ll have our fingers full.”

(Principally) outdated faces, similar success

The Avalanche are dealing with a Lightning workforce whose core is basically the identical because the groups that received back-to-back Cups.

Tampa Bay is powered by stars:

• Heart Steven Stamkos, the workforce captain with 481 profession targets

• Winger Nikita Kucherov, a former league MVP and the playoffs’ main scorer

• Heart Brayden Point, who missed almost two rounds to harm however has scored extra playoff targets than some other participant prior to now three postseasons

• Defenseman Victor Hedman, nominated for six straight seasons for the Norris Trophy because the NHL’s high defenseman, and playoff MVP in 2020

• Defenseman Ryan McDonagh, a gradual veteran

• Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, the playoff MVP in 2021

They’re supported by a returning solid of characters that embody winger Ondrej Palat, who scored two overtime-preventing, successful targets in opposition to the Rangers; rugged forwards Alex Killorn and Pat Maroon, who’s making an attempt to play on his fourth straight Cup winner; ace defensive heart Anthony Cirelli, who shut down the Rangers’ high line; and the smooth-skating protection of Mikhail Sergachev.

One of the crucial spectacular issues about this run? That the Lightning misplaced their total checking line and a few key function gamers from the previous two Cup wins; changed them with veteran offseason pickups (Corey Perry, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare) and trade-deadline acquisitions (Brandon Hagel, Nick Paul); and have not missed a beat.

“We have been in search of a match,” GM Julien BriseBois stated. “We’re in search of guys which have satisfaction and which have ambition. The satisfaction is what is going on to drive you to maintain pushing your self when issues aren’t going nicely for you. The ambition goes to gasoline your continued success. You are still hungry for extra.”

Kucherov is elite

The Avalanche and Lightning each have elite skaters who can take over video games. Kucherov is chief amongst them. Kucherov has 23 factors in 17 video games, distributed fairly equally between 5-on-5 and the facility play. No NHL participant has scored extra factors than Kucherov over the previous three postseasons. Whereas his goal-scoring prowess is elite, it is his playmaking potential and puck distribution that permits him to rack up the factors.

Look no additional than the convention finals. His excellent contact cross to Ondrej Palat arrange the game-winning objective in Recreation 3, with the whole enviornment considering additional time. In Recreation 6, his cross to Stamkos because the captain streaked to the web arrange the game-winning and series-clinching objective.

He’s a pace-setter for the Lightning. When he is assured and rolling offensively, they take discover. “You may hear the chatter on the bench when he is coming off [the ice]. The blokes figuring out that your finest participant is ‘on’ in an enormous recreation,” Stamkos stated.

If the Lightning win a 3rd straight Stanley Cup, it could possibly be Kucherov’s flip to hoist the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Can the Avs beat Vasilevskiy?

Colorado caught some goaltending breaks this postseason. The Nashville Predators did not have injured starter Juuse Saros. The St. Louis Blues misplaced a resurgent Jordan Binnington to harm in Recreation 3. And Edmonton Oilers goalie Mike Smith was … well, Mike Smith.

Opposing goaltenders have a mixed save share of .886 in opposition to the Avalanche this postseason. However barring one thing unexpected, the Avalanche will face their hardest net-minding competitors within the Stanley Cup Ultimate — and the participant many think about to be one of the best goalie on the planet.

The postseason did not begin off nice for Vasilevskiy, as he gave up 22 targets in seven video games to the high-octane Toronto Maple Leafs. However he was nice when it mattered most, stopping 30 of 31 pictures in Recreation 7. Outdoors of a hiccup in Recreation 1 in opposition to the Rangers, after a nine-day layoff, Vasilevskiy has been completely dominant. As coach Jon Cooper stated, he received “his mojo again” because the playoffs went on.

In Vasilevskiy, the Avalanche face one of many biggest postseason goalies in NHL historical past. It is not simply how good he’s, but it surely’s when he is at his finest: In 23 earlier series-clinching video games, Vasilevskiy had a 1.65 goals-against common and 6 shutouts. A 3rd straight Stanley Cup may solidify his legacy as probably the greatest ever.

“After we look again, after we’re older, that is going to be one thing that stays there a very long time. It is fairly cool to play with a participant that is going to go down as probably the greatest that is ever performed the sport,” Killorn stated. “That is the way you gauge gamers: How they play in big-time video games. He is been nothing however super in these video games.”

That championship adaptability

Throughout their run to the Ultimate, the Avalanche have been a workforce that may win an 8-6 recreation as comfortably as they’ll win a 4-Zero shutout. In truth, they did each in the identical collection in opposition to the Edmonton Oilers. As Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon stated, the Avalanche can play with offensive flourish at residence after which play “boring and gross” hockey on the highway to gradual groups down.

The Avalanche are cooking with a recipe the Lightning created of their previous two championship seasons. Tampa Bay has the offensive gamers to go objective for objective with the Avalanche, who lead the playoffs with 4.64 targets per recreation. However the Lightning even have the power to win 1-0, with veteran gamers embodying the affected person poise crucial to take action.

“I believe it is simply perception in ourselves and perception within the work you set in. However belief is the phrase. We belief each man that goes over these boards to do his job. Whether or not you rating a objective or not, it is the little issues that you simply do. It is the defending. It is the blocked pictures. It is the sacrifice. It is not complaining about your function. It is going out and taking part in as onerous as you’ll be able to for the man that sits beside you in that locker room,” Stamkos stated.

“That is why this group is so particular. We do not know what is going on to occur right here within the subsequent 10-14 days. However we all know we’ll give it our all.”

There is no telling how a collection will play out earlier than it is performed, but it surely would not be shocking to see the Stanley Cup Ultimate develop into a battle between the Colorado offense and the number of methods the Lightning will try and defend it. They’ve Vasilevskiy because the spine. They’ve Hedman and McDonagh taking part in near 47 minutes per recreation between them. They’ve a newly fashioned checking line with Hagel, Cirelli and Killorn who dominated the Rangers at 5-on-5, and a set of forwards who satisfaction themselves on defending by any means crucial.

“Does it get contagious? It does. God forbid you watch a man [block a shot] after which you might have an opportunity to do it. You come to the bench and it isn’t a enjoyable place to be if you happen to’re not keen to do this. So guys get in line in that regard,” Cooper stated. “That is been the historical past with us for plenty of years. It is form of constructed into our tradition.”

A championship tradition, and one that ought to make for an excellent Stanley Cup Ultimate in opposition to the Avalanche.

Stamkos stated the Avalanche have been a workforce the Lightning anticipated to have performed already for the Stanley Cup. Colorado did not advance previous the second spherical in three straight seasons.

“Now they’ve damaged by means of. They’ve simply an unbelievable mixture of veteran gamers, star energy, grinders, goalie. An enormous problem for us,” Stamkos stated. “We all know how we now have to play. It is no secret they’ve some electrical gamers.”

As do the Lightning. They’ll run and gun. However most definitely, it will be their protection that would make the distinction between changing into the sixth team since 1983 to fall short of a three-peat or the primary official cap-era dynasty.

“We do not care the way it will get accomplished. It simply must get accomplished,” Stamkos stated. “We’ll the finals once more. Now we have an opportunity to do one thing actually particular.”