Avalanche edge Lightning in Game 6, win Cup for first time since 2001

TAMPA -- The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001 with a 2-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on Sunday.

Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist, and Artturi Lehkonen scored for the Avalanche, who bounced back from a 3-2 loss in Game 5 at home on Friday to win the Cup for the third time in their history (also 1996). Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves.

"Honestly, it was heartbreaking not winning it in Denver," MacKinnon said. "It just felt like a lot of pressure that day. We were supposed to kill them, and it was tough after that game, but we rebounded. We had some good meetings. That's what's so great about our team, a lot of great leadership and we found a way to bounce back tonight. So it feels great."

Colorado closed out each of its four series on the road, where it went 9-1 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"There's a huge sense of satisfaction. Relief is part of it right away when I heard the buzzer go," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "I'm just so proud. Really, honestly, I'm just so proud and excited for our guys to get rewarded."

The Avalanche learned through disappointment how difficult it is to win the Cup, losing in the second round of the playoffs in each of the past three seasons. So before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline, they added to their depth by acquiring defenseman Josh Manson (from Anaheim Ducks), Lehkonen (Montreal Canadiens), and forwards Andrew Cogliano (San Jose Sharks) and Nico Sturm (Minnesota Wild).

"Management has believed in us, committed to us and we've grown together, and even when we had three straight exits in a row in the second round, we stuck together and we didn't blow it up," Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "We didn't try to change things. We stuck with it. We brought in some really, really, really high-character pieces that just wanted to win.

"They just wanted to do whatever they could to win, and they were the difference for us."

Steven Stamkos scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for the Lightning, who fell short in their bid to be the first team to win the Cup in three straight seasons since the New York Islanders won it in four straight from 1980-83.

"We were pushing and pushing," Stamkos said. "We had so many guys battling. We worked our butts off. … That's what makes it tougher because you know how hard it was to get here."

Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar won the Conn Smythe Trophy as most the most valuable player of the playoffs after finishing third in the NHL with 29 points (eight goals, 21 assists) in 20 games this postseason.

Stamkos gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead at 3:48 of the first period. Nikita Kucherov won a battle along the boards against MacKinnon below the goal line before knocking the puck away from Makar. The loose puck then ricocheted off the skate of Lightning forward Ondrej Palat in the left circle directly to Stamkos, who swept a shot five-hole on Kuemper from in front.

MacKinnon tied it 1-1 at 1:54 of the second period. During a delayed penalty, Bowen Byram fed MacKinnon for a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle that went in short side off Vasilevskiy's blocker.

Lehkonen gave Colorado a 2-1 lead at 12:28 of the second. Skating in on a 3-on-2 rush, MacKinnon tried to send a return pass to Manson, but the puck deflected off the skate of Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh to Lehkonen, who quickly shot glove side from the left circle.

"It feels great," Lehkonen said. "The puck was bouncing today a lot, but I got the shot off and it was just good that it went in."

During the second intermission, the Avalanche talked about not letting up, and they dominated the third, pressuring the Lightning in their end for much of the period and outshooting them 9-4.

"We hardly gave up any shots," Kuemper said. "One of our best periods of the whole year. I think we learned a lot of lessons from Game 5 and we just went out there and played."

After the final horn, the Avalanche jumped off their bench and piled on Kuemper in celebration.

"It's a surreal feeling," Avalanche forward Mikko Rantanen said. "You work so hard for it all year with all the adversity against us and a tough loss at Game 5. Just how we bounced back and the last seconds were incredible."

Exhausted after playing in 71 games over the past three postseasons, the Lightning offered their congratulations to the new champions in the handshake line while at the same time trying to appreciate what all they accomplished.

"We just met our match in this series," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "But I hope people think of this team and write about this team for years to come for what they've gone through in the last three years."