Tampa Bay Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov was rewarded for his hard work by being named an alternate captain for Sunday's win over the Washington Capitals.

He came through with a goal and assist in the 6-3 victory.

"Kuch has been around for a few years now. I'm sure, inside, he was excited about it," Lightning assistant coach Rob Zettler said after Monday’s practice, per John Romano of the Tampa Bay Times. "It means a lot, no matter how old you are. To have an 'A' on your jersey in the NHL or a 'C' on your jersey in the NHL is a big deal."

Kucherov is one of the NHL's best players when healthy. He's made three All-Star Game appearances and won the Hart Trophy as the league's MVP for the 2018-19 season. He also helped lead the Bolts to back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021.

He has been off to a strong start in 2022-23, leading the team with 23 points in 15 games. His 16 assists put him tied for sixth in the NHL.

Injuries have been the only negative in his career to this point.

The 29-year-old Russian superstar missed the entire 2020-21 regular season while recovering from hip surgery before returning for the playoffs. He returned to injured reserve early this past season after suffering a lower-body injury that required a medical procedure.

Kucherov has worked his way back from each of these issues and is now playing as well as ever. The team has rewarded him with a leadership role 10 years into his career with the Lightning.

The NHL announced Saturday following an investigation that it has found no evidence to substantiate the anonymous sexual abuse and grooming allegations against Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Ian Cole.

The NHL said in a press release:

"The investigation included two separate interviews with Mr. Cole as well as interviews with NHL club personnel and other individuals with potentially relevant information. Further, the investigation included a detailed review of on-line and social media, public data, and court records and law enforcement checks. In addition, despite attempts by the League to make contact with the anonymous source of the social media post, those efforts were unsuccessful.

"On the basis of the foregoing, the National Hockey League now considers this matter closed."

The NHL Players' Association also released a statement following the league's investigation:

The Lightning announced Oct. 9 that they had suspended Cole, pending the results of an investigation, following the allegations against him. The veteran defenseman has since been reinstated, per The Athletic's Joe Smith.

Cole also released a statement on Oct. 9 denying the allegations, adding that he was looking "forward to clearing my name and demonstrating to the NHL and the Tampa Bay Lightning that these allegations are unfounded."

On Oct. 7, an anonymous woman accused Cole of grooming and sexually abusing her over a four-year stretch that began while she was a minor in high school.

The woman accused Cole of pressuring her into having sex with him, adding that he knew she was still a minor at the time. In addition, she alleged Cole was having sexual relations with other high school-aged teenagers.

In addition, the woman alleged that Cole would "frequently pressure me to do things without consent" and that he manipulated and humiliated her and would frequently make misogynistic, derogatory comments toward her.

"Ian felt emboldened to emotionally and sexually abuse me and other women because the NHL fosters a culture of misogyny," the woman said in her statement. "The NHL needs to hold themselves and their players accountable for creating an enabling environment of misogynistic and predatory behavior."

Cole, who signed a one-year, $3 million deal with the Lightning in July, missed the team's first two games of the season against the New York Rangers and Columbus Blue Jackets. It's unclear if he will suit up for the team's matchup against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Saturday.

The St. Louis Blues selected the 33-year-old in the first round of the 2007 NHL draft. He made his NHL debut in 2010 and has also played for the Pittsburgh Penguins, Colorado Avalanche, Columbus Blue Jackets and Minnesota Wild over his 12-year career.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have traded veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh to the Nashville Predators in exchange for defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash, the franchise announced Sunday.

"He's one of the best defenders in the NHL, he's a selfless player and a great leader. I would like to thank him for everything he's done for us," Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois told reporters.

Tampa Bay's decision to move McDonagh was largely to clear cap space, as the 33-year-old is under contract for four more seasons with an average annual salary of $6.8 million.

If the Lightning buy out the remainder of Myers' contract, which has been speculated, they will have cleared more than $7.3 million in cap space, per Frank Seravalli of Daily Faceoff. However, BriseBois told reporters Sunday that they don't plan to buy out the veteran defenseman and that they like his "toolbox," per The Athletic's Joe Smith.

That said, the Bolts are still over the salary cap by $933,333, per CapFriendly, and will need to clear more cap space if they hope to re-sign unrestricted free agents Ondrej Palat and Jan Rutta this summer.

Tampa Bay is currently set to head into the 2022-23 season with a defense that includes Myers, Victor Hedman, Mikhail Sergachev, Erik Cernak, Zach Bogosian and Cal Foote. While that's not a bad group, the loss of McDonagh is a tough blow to the unit.

McDonagh spent four-and-a-half seasons with the Lightning after being sent to Tampa Bay in a trade from the New York Rangers, with whom he began his career, in February 2018. He played a key role in each of Tampa Bay's Stanley Cup victories in 2020 and 2021 and the team's run to the Stanley Cup Final in 2022.

From 2020-22, the Minnesota native averaged 21:47 of ice time in 171 regular-season games, tallying nine goals and 41 assists for 50 points. He averaged 23:10 of ice time in 68 playoff games in that span, notching two goals and 16 assists for 18 points.

While McDonagh is undoubtedly past his prime, he still had a solid 2021-22 campaign, tallying four goals and 22 assists for 26 points in 71 games while averaging 22:27 of ice time, the highest he's averaged since the 2017-18 season.

McDonagh will now be tasked with helping anchor a Nashville defense alongside Norris Trophy finalist Roman Josi and Mattias Ekholm. It's unclear which pairing he will play on, but Josi and Ekholm will probably be ahead of him on the depth chart.

Even with the trade for McDonagh, Nashville has $18.1 million in cap space, per CapFriendly. That gives the Predators more than enough room to re-sign star forward Filip Forsberg, in addition to some of their other free agents.

However, the Preds could use an upgrade on offense even if Forsberg returns, so it's possible the franchise will look into some of the top available forwards when free agency opens.

As for the Bolts, Myers will probably be one of their bottom pairing defensemen. He tallied one goal and three assists for four points in 27 games with the Preds last season and had an underwhelming three seasons with the Philadelphia Flyers before that, posting six goals and 23 assists for 29 points in 115 games.

Mismash spent the 2021-22 campaign with the AHL's Milwaukee Admirals, tallying six goals and 12 points in his rookie year. The 23-year-old will likely remain in the AHL for the 2022-23 season as Tampa Bay has plenty of offensive depth.

TAMPA, Fla. — Cale Makar's most famous words of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final weren't his last, they were his first.

"They're a team that's looking to have a dynasty," Makar said on media day, prior to the start of the Colorado Avalanche's championship series against the two-time defending champions in the Tampa Bay Lighting. "We're a team trying to start a legacy."

Their legacy may have begun Sunday night.

The Avalanche ended the Lightning's bid for their third straight Stanley Cup. A 2-1 comeback win in Game 6 at Amalie Arena gave the Avs their first Stanley Cup championship since 2001 and the third in club history. With a talented young core in place, this might not be the last time you see this team in this position in the coming years.

It's a culmination of patience and prudence shown by Avalanche GM Joe Sakic. The team tasted bitter disappointment in recent years, losing in the second round in three consecutive postseasons and in the first the year before that.

But much like when the Presidents' Trophy-winning Bolts were swept in the first round of the 2019 playoffs, the adversity served them well. Tampa Bay stayed the course and turned into a juggernaut.

Sakic did the same, knowing his team would be better for it. He didn't fire coach Jared Bednar after the team lost to the Vegas Golden Knights last year, and he didn't make drastic changes to the roster.

"Sometimes you have to go through some tough times," Sakic said. "We thought we were in a real good place last year, and it didn't happen. And it didn't happen quick. You saw the emotion from Nathan [MacKinnon] after we lost to Vegas [last year]. But I can tell you, right from day one of training camp, they came ready to go. They all had worked extremely hard in the offseason. You can tell that they weren't happy and they were ready to be prepared."

"We learned to play the right way with a lead and manage the puck. That was the biggest difference this year from last year."

Sakic's deft management not only fortified the roster this season but also improved the team's leadership.

His deadline acquisitions included defenseman Josh Manson, who bailed out goalie Darcy Kuemper with a goal-line save in Game 6 of the second round, which ultimately allowed the Avs to win the game and eliminate the St. Louis Blues.

"The whole St. Louis trip was a turning point for our team," Makar said. "The whole experience of giving up a Game 5 and losing, the mentality flipped right after that game. We were like, 'We're going to win [the next game].' And we found a way with four seconds or so left. Manson made an incredible play for us."

Sakic also brought in Artturi Lehkonen, who scored the game-winner for the Montreal Canadiens to send them to the Stanley Cup last season and the game-winner in Game 6.

He also brought in veteran winger Andrew Cogliano, who brought the team together Saturday night and delivered a motivational speech, along with MacKinnon and captain Gabriel Landeskog.

"When a guy like that talks, you listen," Makar said. "He spoke to us, it was him and Landy and Nate, 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."

The emotional leadership the veterans provided was a huge boost, but it also helps to have all-world players like Makar. The Avs' defensemen scored 18 goals and assisted on 49 for 67 points. Only the 1985 Edmonton Oilers received a larger contribution from their defense corps with 77 points. Makar was at the center of it all throughout the postseason, along with defense partner Devon Toews.

The newly crowned Norris Trophy winner's 29 points were the most points by a defenseman in one postseason in 28 years and the fourth-highest in Stanley Cup history. His point total was the second-highest ever recorded by an Avs player, with the highest mark (34 points) having been set by Sakic.

"Best player in the world," Colorado defenseman Bowen Byram told Bleacher Report.

The way they jump into the rush makes it feel like Colorado has five forwards on the ice, yet they're still able to contain the puck, retrieve it and slow down the opposing forwards when needed. It's incredibly effective with the right personnel.

"I feel like a difference-maker in this series, it could have been that, maybe individual-wise," Makar said. "But I feel like for us, our main thing was that we always wanted to be up in the rush and give our forwards options because they're so good at gaps and so on and so on."

For longtime veterans such as Erik Johnson, Jack Johnson and Cogliano, it's the ultimate payoff. Cogliano had come close to the Cup once before in 2015 with the Anaheim Ducks, but that team lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in Game 7 of the Western Conference Final. It was a devastating blow for a contending team. The club largely shared the same sentiment: You never know when you're going to get another chance at a Cup.

Cogliano finally got one again.

"I think the biggest thing is, to say you're a champion, that's the biggest title you can get in this game," Cogliano said. "To beat a team like that is something special. This team deserved it. I really do think that. This is a great bunch of people from the top down. And we earned it."

MacKinnon also had some famous words last year: "I haven't won s--t."

He can now say he's won it all.

DENVER — It's the most fun an athlete could ever have.

It's also the most exhausting.

They say the Stanley Cup is the hardest trophy in sports to win, but the Tampa Bay Lightning made it look easy in 2020 and 2021. However, it doesn't look easy for the Lightning or their opponent in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, the Colorado Avalanche.

The Avs had a chance to clinch at home on Friday night in Game 5. The city was ready. The atmosphere inside Ball Arena was absolutely electric. The Stanley Cup was in the building.

Fans broke down barriers at a watch party. The state's signature craft beer was flowing, streets were blocked off and light poles were greased in anticipation of mass celebrations.

But Ondrej Palat's go-ahead goal in the third period put those hopes on hold for at least another few days, if not ended them all together. The Bolts forced a sixth game, and everyone headed back to Tampa just 48 hours after departing, a lot more determined to win but also a lot more fatigued.

"There is a massive sense of, 'Wow, we accomplish this. I'm so damn excited. But I need my bed for a while,'" Lightning coach Jon Cooper said earlier this week in Denver. "The excitement and the thrill, and all that trumps everything. But there is a time where you're like, 'Glad this is over.'"

It's a lot of adrenaline and emotions, and when that adrenaline crashes, it can be draining. This is the culmination of two straight months of highs and lows. The Stanley Cup Playoffs are just as much about skill and depth as they are about managing emotions and mental toughness.

For the Lightning, that mental toughness comes from being battle-tested and understanding through two years of Stanley Cup Finals how and when to step on the gas and how and when to let up.

But right now, they can't let up. And that's a challenge.

"Is it tactics? Is it game plan? Is it all those other things? Yes. Part of it, too, is managing, and it's managing expectations. It's managing what's happening in the future," Cooper said.

"And if you're going to have a parade for every win, you're not going to last very long in this league. You're definitely not going to last long in the playoffs. And I think that with our group, you just have to reset and understand like, it's the first one to four. It's not the first one to three. You don't know how you're going to get there, but for us, our focus can't change. Like our approach going into last night can't change tomorrow just because we're going home."

Special teams and injuries will be key storylines heading into Game 6. The Avalanche have been dominating the special teams battle, turning the Bolts' historic strengths into weaknesses.

The Lightning are just 2-for-18 (11.1 percent) on the power play through five games, and their penalty kill is 6-for-15 (40 percent). Kucherov scored on a 4-on-3 power play Friday night to help boost that number a little, but Tampa Bay had two previous power plays that generated next to nothing.

The Colorado penalty kill has significantly limited scoring chances and forced their opponent to pass more than shoot. In nearly nine more 5-on-4 minutes than the Avs, Tampa Bay has 11 fewer shot attempts and 11 fewer scoring chances.

"It's playoffs, it's Stanley Cup Finals, I think your team's always play with a certain level of desperation," Colorado coach Jared Bednar said Saturday morning before the team departed for Florida.

"Certainly, Tampa brought it yesterday. We've seen it building with both teams as the series goes on, and there's still lots of hockey to be played. So I expect our guys to again ramp up that level as much as they possibly can. just try to put together a little bit more detailed and more disciplined game from our group."

Brayden Point and Andre Burakovsky have missed three straight games for Tampa Bay and Colorado, respectively. Burakovsky is traveling with the Avs and is a possibility for Game 6.

Both teams are tired. Both teams are desperate. One might know how to handle the roller coaster a little better than the other, but that doesn't mean the Avs aren't learning quickly. To close out the series over the two-time defending champions, the Avs need to be more desperate than the team playing underneath those banners.

"I think that's something you just kind of have to find. You have to have that desperation because it's the finals," Colorado defenseman Josh Manson said."You can't look at the amount of games that we have left. You have to be desperate every single game, and I think that's something that we've talked about, at least. We played St. Louis, and they had that game where they kind of game back on us. We felt that we needed to get desperate, and we learned from that a little bit."