Lightning strikes twice: Tampa Bay repeats as Cup champion

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — Tampa Bay Lightning players surrounded the Stanley Cup again, putting their hands all over the trophy they won for the second time in 10 months.

It was a familiar sight for the NHL's back-to-back champions, even if it was different in every possible way.

After the Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 on Wednesday night to wrap up the final in five games, captain Steven Stamkos hoisted the Cup in front of 18,110 fans — 18,110 more than the last time he did back in September.

Pyrotechnics went off around him to celebrate not only Tampa Bay winning during a pandemic once again but the end of another grueling season played against the backdrops of protocols and restrictions. Stamkos took another lap with the Cup, players held up their phones to capture video of the fans and confetti fell from the rafters.

Instead of presenting the Cup to the captain to take it back to his teammates, NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman invited the Lightning to again surround the trophy, like they did in the bubble. Only this was not the bubble.

“Full arena, incredible energy and another championship in Tampa,” Bettman said. “It feels like things are normal.”

Winning has become normal for the Lightning, who did so this time relying on their playoff MVP goaltender and the only two players on the ice without their names on hockey's holy grail.

Playoff MVP Andrei Vasilevskiy had a series-ending shutout for an NHL-record fifth consecutive time dating to the 2020 final. Finishing with a handful in a frantic final minute, he made 22 saves to remain undefeated in games after a loss over the past two playoffs, both contested during a deadly pandemic with the Lightning coming out on top each time.

“It's unbelievable,” Stamkos said. “This group, to go back to back after everything...

source https://www.chron.com/sports/article/Lightning-Canadiens-tied-0-0-after-1st-in-Cup-16299875.php