Potential unrestricted free agents:Riley Nash, F; Ondrej Palat, F; Nick Paul, F; Jan Rutta, D
Potential restricted free agents: None
Potential 2022 Draft picks: 7
Here are five reasons the Lightning were eliminated:
1. The Avalanche were too fast
The Lightning were able to slow the high-powered offenses of the Maple Leafs, Panthers and Rangers in the first three rounds with their structured defensive play, but they couldn't consistently contain the Avalanche's speed and scoring depth.
Tampa Bay had trouble breaking out of the defensive zone against Colorado's pressure on the forecheck for much of the series, which led to turnovers and scoring chances against.
2. Three seasons of the playoff grind
The Lightning played 71 playoff games the past three seasons, which are the most during a three-season span in NHL history, surpassing the previous mark held by the Chicago Blackhawks of 65 games from 2013-15. With the 2020 playoffs beginning in August, those 71 games were packed into 23 months.
That caught up to Tampa Bay physically.
Forward Brayden Point returned for the first two games of the Final after missing 10 games because of a lower-body injury he sustained in Game 7 of the first round against the Maple Leafs, but did not play after that. Forwards Nikita Kucherov, Anthony Cirelli and Nicholas Paul and defensemen Victor Hedman, Ryan McDonagh and Erik Cernak were among the Lightning players who appeared to be playing through injuries.
3. Special teams struggles
Tampa Bay was 2-for-19 (10.5 percent) on the power play in the Cup Final and couldn't contain Colorado's power play until the final two games (0-for-3). By then, it was too late.
The Avalanche were 6-for-13 (46.2 percent) with the man-advantage in the first four games, which helped them take a 3-1 series lead.
Tampa Bay scored a 4-on-3 power-play goal that gave them a 2-1 lead in the second period of their 3-2 victory in Game 5 but couldn't take advantage of other opportunities throughout the series, when a timely goal could have added to their lead or tied the score.
4. Scoring depth dried up
Ondrej Palat scored three goals in the series. Steven Stamkos, Cirelli and Paul each scored two. No other Lightning player scored more than one.
Ross Colton (no goals in final 14 games), Alex Killorn (no goals in 23 games in the playoffs), Brandon Hagel, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Riley Nash and Point (missed last four games) were among the Lightning forwards not to score a goal in the series.
The Avalanche had six players score multiple goals in the Final: Valeri Nichushkin (four), Gabriel Landeskog (three), Cale Makar (three), Nathan MacKinnon (two), Artturi Lehkonen (two) and Andre Burakovsky (two).
5. Colorado's defensive structure
The Lightning's structure was a big part of their defensive success in the playoffs, but they ran into a team that also was very disciplined defensively. That made it difficult for them to generate scoring chances against goalie Darcy Kuemper, who was 4-2 with a 2.45 goals-against average, .908 save percentage and one shutout in six games in the Final.
The third period of Game 6 was a perfect example of this. When the Lightning were able to get through the Avalanche's relentless forecheck and get into the offensive zone, the Avalanche kept them to the outside and clogged the shooting lanes, blocking eight shots in the period. As a result, Colorado outshot Tampa Bay 9-4.
Colorado limited Tampa Bay to 23 shots on goal in Game 6. That was the third time in the series Kuemper faced fewer than 25 shots (excluding Game 3 when he was pulled in the second period), including a 16-save shutout in a 7-0 victory in Game 2.
