Krenn: Three Things we learned from a season-ending loss

The Tampa Bay Lightning left it all on the ice.
After becoming the only team in NHL history to get past three teams that had 50 or more regular season wins to reach the Stanley Cup Final, the Bolts fell to the Colorado Avalanche, 2-1, in Game 6 and saw an incredible season come to an end.

The Lightning got the start they wanted once again on Sunday night, with Steven Stamkos opening the scoring just 3:48 into the game.
After Tampa Bay got the puck in deep, Nikita Kucherov went to work on the forecheck behind the Avs net. He was able to force the puck loose and Ondrej Palat used his skate to redirect a pass to Steven Stamkos, who slipped the puck underneath Kuemper for his 11th goal of the postseason.
The 11 goals tied Stamkos with Palat for the Lightning team lead. It was also the 19th point of the playoffs for Stamkos, establishing a new career high for a single postseason.
The Bolts continued to generate chances in the opening period, but were unable to get another one past Kuemper before heading to the intermission with the 1-0 lead.
After such a strong start, Tampa Bay took a step back in the second period. The Bolts were set to be shorthanded, but Nathan MacKinnon scored on a one-timer before the Lightning were able to gain possession of the puck and the game was tied at one just 1:54 into the period.
Following that, the Bolts gave up an odd-man rush and Artturi Lehkonen made it 2-1 with 7:32 left in the second period. From there, the Lightning were unable to score another goal.
Tampa Bay left it all out on the ice on Sunday night. They fought until the very end, but couldn't find a way. Regardless of the result, you have to respect everything the Lightning went through to get to this point.
Here's three things we learned from a season-ending loss.

1. SELFLESS STAMMER
Steven Stamkos had one hell of a year.
His leadership, both on and off the ice, was easy to marvel at.
Stamkos scored the Bolts' only goal in Game 6. He was one of two forwards to skate over 21 minutes. He laid a huge hit on MacKinnon. He had 17 of the team's 28 faceoff wins. He was tied for the team lead with three blocked shots.
And he was the first one to step out and answer questions from the media. In fact, two other Lightning players started their media availabilities after Stamkos had begun and they finished before he was done answering questions.
All season long, you could see Stamkos's leadership shining.
Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh was fighting back tears during his postgame media availability.
"I've got to really say a special acknowledgement to Stamkos," said McDonagh. "He was an unbelievable leader.
"His play was incredible. Great feel for the room. Great motivational player. Just a purebred hockey player through and through.
"I'm just really proud of him."
Stamkos finished tied for third on the team with 19 points while, as previously mentioned, his 11 goals were tied with Palat for the team lead. He scored 10 even-strength goals, the second-most on the team. The next closest skater had five.
In Game 6 against the Rangers, it was Stamkos who led the Lightning to victory with both of the team's goals in a 2-1 win.
He won 54.3% of his faceoffs, which led the entire team for skaters who took five or more faceoffs.
He threw 60 hits throughout the playoffs, the fifth-most on the team. He laid down and blocked 24 shots. Only Anthony Cirelli (26) and Nick Paul (25) had more among Bolts forwards.
"He helped galvanize this group," said Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper. "He helped the new guys fit in.
"You talk to Bellemare and he's never been on a team as close as this one. That's what makes it sting."
In the regular season, Stamkos recorded 100-plus points for the first time in his career. He led by example on and off the ice. The Lightning fell short of their goal, but it was a year to remember for both the team and for Stamkos.
"It's been unbelievable," Stamkos said. "Who says we're done, right?
"This core is here. We battled.
"We've been through everything you can think of and, for the most part, we've found a way to come out on top. It's nothing to be ashamed of."

2. WARRIOR MENTALITY
The Bolts warrior mentality was on display throughout the playoffs. So many players were playing or attempting to play hurt.
Think back through all the injuries.
Brayden Point going down in Game 7 of the First Round is the big one that comes to mind. Point tried to return for Games 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, but just wasn't able to push through and play at the level he's used to playing at.
"You have no clue what guys are going through from a physical standpoint, a mental standpoint, to get here," Stamkos said when asked about Point. "Just the warrior mentality, he was part of that.
"I was gutted that he didn't get a chance to play these last couple games. He worked his ass off."
Erik Cernak was blocking shots left and right. After getting injured on a heavy one-timer from MacKinnon earlier in the series, Cernak returned and continue to block those same heavy shots from the Colorado star forward. He never backed down.
Cirelli was unable to take faceoffs after suffering an injury in Game 4, yet he continued to play and do whatever he could to help the team win.
Brandon Hagel had the shot block in the Florida series and couldn't put any weight on one leg before returning and playing the remainder of the postseason.
Paul couldn't put weight on his leg after suffering an injury during the Final and returned.
Stamkos was up and down the tunnel several times, as was Corey Perry.
Kucherov suffered the injury at home during the win in Game 3.
You can go up and down the lineup. Almost every player went back to the locker room to get checked out at some point this postseason. But they all fought through the pain and did whatever they could to win.
"I've never felt this about a team," said Cooper. "You get the bumps and bruises and guys are nicked up here and there, but nothing like I saw with this group and nothing that we witnessed when they came back.
"The fact that they did come back, the heart of champions.
"We would've had half our minor league team playing if this was the regular season."
The Lightning won't use it as an excuse, but they were playing through a lot of pain. After all that, they came up just two wins short. You have to be impressed.

3. LEFT IT ALL OUT THERE
Tampa Bay never quit.
Down 3-2 in the First Round and trailing by one goal heading into the third period of Game 6, they could have folded.
Trailing 2-0 in the Eastern Conference Final, they could have quit.
Falling behind 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, they never gave up.
Nobody would have blamed them if they did.
Over the past three postseasons, the Lightning played in 68 games. That's almost an entire regular season. Factor in the physicality of the playoffs and playing in those games every other day. Don't forget the shortened summers as well.
These players have put their bodies and minds through so much over the past few seasons. They almost won the Stanley Cup three times in a row in the salary cap era.
They never gave up.
The Bolts should hold their heads high all summer long.
"These guys are right up there with the 80s Islanders, Oilers, those teams you talk about for decades," said Cooper. "I hope people talk about that group in there for decades.
"We met our match in this series, but I hope people think of his team and write about this team for years to come for what they've gone through in the last three years.
"You know what today is? Today's a crushing loss.
"We played this whole season to get to this goal and we finished two days short of winning or being a part of history, but this group is part of history."
Prior to the Stanley Cup Final, Colorado had lost two games all postseason long. That is one hell of a hockey team. The Bolts don't like to compare, but in my opinion, that was the best team they've faced over the last three years in the playoffs.
"The back against the wall, the teams we faced," Cooper said. "You go through the Toronto Maple Leafs, the Florida Panthers, and the Rangers.
"We never had home ice. We played all these star-studded teams and they found a way.
"We just ran into one more brick wall."
On the tail end of three extended playoff runs, the Lightning nearly forced a winner-take-all Game 7.
Nobody can ever say Tampa Bay didn't give everything they had. They fought until the very end and just barely short to a great opponent. It was a hell of an effort from a team that will be remembered for a long time.
"We didn't quit," said Stamkos. "We left it on the ice.
"That's what we talked about. Leave it all out there.
"Sometimes it's not good enough, but we left it out there."