2021-2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Page 3

A look at some of the storylines surrounding the Tampa Bay Lightning ahead of their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Final.

Stanley Cup Final Experience
* The Lightning return to the Stanley Cup Final with 15 players who won the championship with the team last year, including 13 who also won with the club in 2020 (Erik Cernak, Anthony Cirelli, Victor Hedman, Alex Killorn, Nikita Kucherov, Pat Maroon, Ryan McDonagh, Ondrej Palat, Brayden Point, Jan Rutta, Mikhail Sergachev, Steven Stamkos & Andrei Vasilevskiy). The two players who only won in 2021 are Ross Colton and Cal Foote, while Zach Bogosian won only in 2020.

* Five Lightning players who have dressed this postseason are in search of their first Stanley Cup: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare, Brian Elliott, Brandon Hagel, Riley Nash and Nicholas Paul. Of those players, only Bellemare (2018 w/ VGK) has skated in a Final. The only Cup winner on Tampa Bay’s roster without a game played in the Final is Cal Foote.

* Pat Maroon (18 GP), Victor Hedman (17 GP), Nikita Kucherov (17 GP), Ondrej Palat (17 GP), Ryan McDonagh (16 GP), Corey Perry (16 GP), Alex Killorn (13 GP) and Andrei Vasilevskiy (13 GP) can all reach 20 career games in the Final. The only active players to appear in 20 or more contests are Sidney Crosby (25 GP), Evgeni Malkin (25 GP), Patrice Bergeron (20 GP), Zdeno Chara (20 GP) and Brad Marchand (20 GP).

* Pat Maroon (2019 STL, 2020 TBL, 2021 TBL) can become the fourth player in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup in four straight seasons while claiming titles with multiple clubs – only Ed Litzenberger (4x; 1961 CHI, 1962 TOR, 1963 TOR, 1964 TOR), Ab McDonald (4x; 1958 MTL, 1959 MTL, 1960 MTL, 1961 CHI) and Eddie Gerard (4x; 1920 SEN, 1921 SEN, 1922 TSP, 1923 SEN) have done so. The last time an NHL player won four straight titles, regardless of circumstance, was during the Islanders’ stretch when 16 players claimed all four Cups (15 skaters & 1 goaltender).

* Corey Perry, who won his only Stanley Cup with Anaheim in 2007, can become the third player in NHL history to go 15-plus years between Cup wins. Only Chris Chelios (1986 MTL & 2002 DET) and Mark Recchi (1991 PIT & 2006 CAR) have done so.

* Corey Perry (2007 w/ ANA, 2020 w/ DAL, 2021 w/ MTL) is set to become the seventh player in NHL history to dress in at least one Final game for four different franchises, following Al Arbour, Paul Coffey, Ab McDonald, Larry Hillman, Darryl Sydor and Martin Gelinas. Perry can also become the second player in NHL history to win a Cup with a team after losing to them in the prior Final – he would join Billy Carroll, who played for the Islanders in 1984 against the Oilers before joining Edmonton and winning with them in 1985.

2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Team Storylines
* The Lightning will aim to become the fourth franchise in NHL history – and first in nearly 40 years – to claim at least three consecutive Stanley Cup wins. The last club to do so was the Islanders dynasty (4x: 1980–1983), and before them the Canadiens (5x: 1956–1960; 4x: 1976–1979) and Maple Leafs (3x: 1947–1949; 3x: 1962–1964) each did so twice.

* The Lightning can become the third franchise in NHL history to win at least 12 consecutive Stanley Cup Playoffs series, with the others being the Islanders (19 from 1980–1984) and Canadiens (13 from 1976–1980).

* The Lightning will play in the Stanley Cup Final for the fifth time in franchise history (2004, 2015, 2020, 2021 & 2022), by far the most among clubs to join the NHL since the 1990s. Only three non-Original Six franchises have more appearances in the championship series: the Flyers (8x), Oilers (7x) and Penguins (6x).

* Tampa Bay can become the first franchise since Pittsburgh to win four Stanley Cups through its first five appearances in the Final. The Penguins’ first five Final berths came in 1991, 1992, 2008, 2009 and 2016, with their only loss coming in 2008.

* The Lightning have relied on late-game heroics throughout the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, receiving three winning goals in the final two minutes of regulation (58:10 in Game 5 of CF, 59:18 in Game 3 of CF & 59:56 in Game 2 of R2). They became the second team in NHL history with three game-winning goals during the final 2:00 minutes of regulation in a single postseason, joining the 1995 Devils.

* Tampa Bay enters the Final with a 7-1 mark at AMALIE Arena this postseason, including a franchise-record seven straight wins.

—

2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs – Player Storylines
* Nikita Kucherov, who leads the Lightning with 7-16—23 (17 GP) in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs, enters the Stanley Cup Final with the opportunity to become the fourth player in NHL history with 25-plus points in three consecutive postseasons. He would join Wayne Gretzky (1983–1985), Mike Bossy (1981–1983) and Bryan Trottier (1980–1982).

* Kucherov has posted five or more points in each of the Lightning’s last two Final series (2020: 1-7—8 in 6 GP & 2021: 3-2—5 in 5 GP). Should he do so against the Avalanche, Kucherov would become the ninth player in NHL history to post five-plus points in the Final over three consecutive years – he would join Bernie Geoffrion (6x: 1955–1960), Mike Bossy (3x: 1980–1982), Denis Potvin (3x: 1980–1982), Bryan Trottier (3x: 1980–1982), Guy Lafleur (3x: 1976–1978), Jean Beliveau (3x: 1965–1967), Dickie Moore (3x: 1958–1960) and Doug Harvey (3x: 1957–1959).

* Steven Stamkos can become the fifth player in NHL history to captain a team to at least three consecutive Stanley Cup wins, a list that currently features Denis Potvin of the Islanders (4x; 1980–1983), Yvan Cournoyer of the Canadiens (4x; 1976–1979), George Armstrong of the Maple Leafs (3x; 1962–1964) and Maurice Richard of the Canadiens (4x; 1957–1960).

* Ondrej Palat has made a habit out of potting big goals for the Lightning this postseason including two winners during the final 2:00 of regulation, the most by an NHL player in a single playoff year. His 11 career game winners in the Stanley Cup Playoffs trail only Joe Pavelski (14) and Evgeni Malkin (13) for the most among all active players.

* Andrei Vasilevskiy can become the 10th goaltender in NHL history to win three consecutive Stanley Cups – he would join Jacques Plante (5 w/ MTL), Ken Dryden (4 w/ MTL), Michel Larocque (4 w/ MTL), Billy Smith (4 w/ NYI), Turk Broda (3 w/ TOR), Charlie Hodge (3 w/ MTL), Johnny Bower (3 w/ TOR), Don Simmons (3 w/ TOR) and Roland Melanson (3 w/ NYI). Of those goaltenders, only Plante, Dryden and Smith appeared in all their team’s postseason games throughout their first three consecutive wins (as Vasilevskiy has done to date).

* Andrei Vasilevskiy, 27, can become the 10th goaltender in NHL history to win three Stanley Cups before age 30. He would join Grant Fuhr (5 w/ EDM), Charlie Hodge (4 w/ MTL), Jacques Plante (4 w/ MTL), Ken Dryden (4 w/ MTL), Michel Larocque (4 w/ MTL), Andy Moog (3 w/ EDM), Rogie Vachon (3 w/ MTL), Roland Melanson (3 w/ NYI) and Terry Sawchuk (3 w/ DET).

—

Matchup vs. Colorado Avalanche
* The Lightning and Avalanche, who have never met in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, rank first and third, respectively, in regular-season wins over the past four campaigns. Tampa Bay holds an all-time series record of 11-6 when facing against an opponent for the first time in a best-of-seven.

* The Lightning have made the Stanley Cup Final four previous times in franchise history, but 2022 will mark the first instance of Tampa Bay facing the top-seeded team from the opposite conference.The Lightning are 4-0 in their last four head-to-head series against the No. 1-ranked club from a conference, including a four-game sweep versus the Panthers in the 2022 Second Round (also 4-1 W vs. BOS in 2020 R2, 4-3 W vs. NYR in 2015 CF & 4-0 W vs. WSH in 2011 CSF).

* The Lightning will become the ninth NHL team to face the No. 1-ranked club from each conference during a single postseason (since 1974-75 when conferences were introduced) and first since 2013, when the Bruins swept the Penguins in the Conference Finals before falling to the Blackhawks in the Final.

* Victor Hedman and Cale Makar are set to square off in what will be the sixth Final during the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) to include Norris Trophy finalists from that season on either side. The others over that span were in 2001 (Ray Bourque, COLvs. Scott Stevens, NJD), 1989 (Al MacInnis, CGY vs. Chris Chelios, MTL), 1978 (Larry Robinson, MTL vs. Brad Park, BOS), 1973 (Guy Lapointe, MTL vs. Bill White, CHI) and 1972 (Bobby Orr, BOS vs. Park, NYR).

* Cal Foote was born in Denver and played minor hockey with the AAA Colorado Thunderbirds. Cal’s father, Adam Foote, played 1,137 career games with the Avalanche/Nordiques (967 regular season & 170 playoffs), capturing both Stanley Cups with the franchise and donning the “C” for two seasons from 2009-10 to 2010-11.

Attachments:

StatsPack-2022StanleyCupFinal-TBL.pdf

By Tom Gulitti @TomGulittiNHL / NHL.com Staff Writer

TAMPA — The Tampa Bay Lightning have one more dragon to slay to complete their quest to win the Stanley Cup for the third consecutive season.

And it might be the toughest one.

But in the aftermath of reaching the Stanley Cup Final with a 2-1 victory against the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final at Amalie Arena on Saturday, it was appropriate for the Lightning to take at least a few minutes to appreciate what they have already achieved.

“It’s going to be tough to get out of the moment and look back and realize what a special group we have here because there’s still some games to be played and we’re still not at the end of our goal,” captain Steven Stamkos said. “But in saying that, this group is pretty amazing, pretty special.”

With a run of 11 consecutive Stanley Cup Playoff series wins, the Lightning are in remarkable company. The Islanders (19 in a row, 1980-84) and the Montreal Canadiens (13, 1976-1980) are the only teams to have won more consecutive NHL playoff series. Tampa Bay is also the first team to reach the Stanley Cup Final in three straight seasons since the Edmonton Oilers did so from 1983-85.

And the Colorado Avalanche, who will host Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final at Ball Arena on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET; ESPN+, ABC, CBC, SN, TVAS), are the last remaining obstacle in the Lightning’s path to becoming the first team to win the Stanley Cup in three straight seasons since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83.

“When you’re growing up in Canada, you always dream about having your name on the Stanley Cup, and to get there the first time, it was a dream come true,” coach Jon Cooper said. “To get there a second time, the next year, it was like a dream, like there’s no way we’re going back. And to go a third time is unthinkable.

“You’ve got to look at the players and, I sit back, and I’m just impressed. I’m impressed by them.”

Considering the changes the Lightning roster went through after defeating the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final in five games last season, it’s difficult not to be impressed.

Tampa Bay lost its entire third line of Barclay Goodrow (traded to the Rangers before he became an unrestricted free agent), Yanni Gourde (claimed by the Seattle Kraken in the 2021 NHL Expansion Draft) and Blake Coleman (signed with the Calgary Flames as an unrestricted free agent). Forward Tyler Johnson was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks for salary cap reasons and defenseman David Savard signed with the Canadiens.

But general manager Julien BriseBois found ways to replenish the Lightning’s depth, signing forwards Corey Perry and Pierre-Edouard Bellemare last summer and acquiring forwards Nicholas Paul and Brandon Hagel before the 2022 NHL Trade Deadline in March.

Those additions have been pivotal to helping the Lightning survive the loss of center Brayden Point, who hasn’t played since Game 7 of the first round against the Toronto Maple Leafs because of a lower-body injury. Tampa Bay trailed 3-2 in that best-of-7 series and looked to be on its way out when it entered the third period of Game 6 down a goal; however, Point scored the game-winner for a 4-3 overtime victory and the Lightning won 2-1 in Game 7, with Paul scoring twice.

After sweeping the Florida Panthers in the second round, the Lightning lost the first two games to the Rangers but regrouped and recommitted defensively to reel off four straight victories, giving up one 5-on-5 goal in those four wins.

“As the series progressed, we got better and better and I think tonight may have been our best game overall and I think that’s important in a Stanley Cup run,” forward Alex Killorn said. “It’s typically the team that improves the most throughout a run that typically ends up winning.”

Stamkos was the hero Saturday, scoring twice, including the winning goal with 6:32 remaining in the third period, 21 seconds after the Rangers tied the score on Frank Vatrano‘s power-play goal. But, as it has for most of the playoffs, Tampa Bay won with a complete team effort, limiting New York to a series-low 21 shots on goal.

“I think it’s just belief in ourselves and belief in the work that you put in and the systems and the way the coaches prepare you as players,” Stamkos said. “But trust, that’s the word, we trust every guy that goes over that boards to do his job. Whether you score a goal or not, it’s the little things that you do. It’s the defending. It’s the blocked shots. It’s the sacrifice. It’s not complaining about your role.

“It’s just going out and just playing as hard as you can for the next guy that sits beside you in that locker room.”

A shot at history awaits in the Stanley Cup Final. Defeating the Avalanche, who are 12-2 in the playoffs and coming off a sweep of the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final, won’t be easy.

But the Lightning have already come this far. They’re ready to empty the tank one more time.

“We don’t know what’s going to happen here in the next 10-14 days, but we know we’re going to give it our all,” Stamkos said. “It’s gotten us this far again and it’s just a special group and a treat to be part of.”