Cogliano speech helped Avalanche regroup, win Stanley Cup

TAMPA -- Andrew Cogliano felt he needed to say something.

The veteran forward wasn't happy with how the Colorado Avalanche played in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final, a 3-2 loss to the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, so he spoke at a players-only meeting Saturday.
"It was more just, we've worked so hard to get here playing the right way, let's be in the moment, win or lose, no regrets. And that message was pushed by our leaders," Cogliano said after the Avalanche defeated the Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 to win the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001. "At the end of the day, the captain Gabriel Landeskog] and the assistant captains [Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen], those guys are a big reason we're here."
True, but getting that message from someone like Cogliano, who has played more than 1,000 NHL games, resonates.
"He just said, 'Stay in the moment,' " goalie Darcy Kuemper said. "He addressed how he felt last game and I think we all resonated with that, where we were maybe looking a little ahead and thinking about this [Cup-winning celebration], thinking about this rather than being in the moment. You know, to hear it come from him, everyone was in agreement. I think that really helped us just come out and play our game."
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It's the first Stanley Cup championship for Cogliano, who had six points (three goals, three assists) in 16 playoff games. He missed Game 1 of the Cup Final after having surgery for a broken middle finger on his right hand sustained after blocking a shot in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final against the Edmonton Oilers
Avalanche coach Jared Bednar wasn't part of the meeting when Cogliano gave his speech but recognized its impact when he met with the players Sunday morning.
"You could feel a sense of relief, some of the nervous tension that we had at home and focus was back," Bednar said. "So, I had a pretty good feeling about tonight because they called that meeting. Those guys said what they said."

"[Cogliano] is a heart-and-soul guy, a veteran guy with a deep desire to win. We lost him in the Edmonton series, he breaks his hand, has surgery and he's the first guy back, working to try to get back and help our team. That's not easy to do. Our guys from the second he walked into the room, looked up to this guy because of the way he handles himself, him and [forward] Darren Helm, what they've put in and how they take care of themselves, how they prepare, how serious everything is for them and how much they want to win."
Cogliano was acquired by the Avalanche from the San Jose Sharks on March 21. He has 426 points (174 goals, 252 assists) in 1,140 regular-season games with the Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, Dallas Stars, Sharks and Avalanche. Cogliano was selected by Edmonton with the No. 25 pick in the 2005 NHL Draft,
He's played 116 Stanley Cup Playoff games and reached the Final in 2020 with the Stars, when they lost to the Lightning in six games.
Cogliano hasn't been with the Avalanche for long, but he's a respected player in the League and his words meant a lot to his teammates.
"When a guy like that talks, you listen," defenseman Cale Makar said. "He spoke to us, it was him and 'Landy' [Landeskog] and 'Nate' [MacKinnon], basically just calmed the guys down and made sure that, regardless of the outcome, we just put it all out there and see where the game lies. That's kind of where our minds were at throughout this whole game. Our mentality was just to win that period, win that next shift, and so on. We were never looking too far ahead to the outcome. We definitely feel like we earned that one, for sure."