Conn Smythe Trophy 2021: Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy Wins Playoff MVP
Jul 8, 2021
TAMPA, FL - JUNE 05: Tampa Bay Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevsky (88) tracks the puck during Game 4 of the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Second Round match between the Tampa Bay Lightning and Carolina Hurricanes on June 05, 2021 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Roy K. Miller/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
One year after Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman earned the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP, his teammate and netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy nabbed the award as the Bolts successfully defended their title with a 1-0 victory in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday.
It's the fifth straight series-clinching shutout for the goalie, who allowed just 44 goals in 23 playoff games (1.93 goals against average).
Vasilevskiy is also just the third goalie all-time with 2 shutouts in Stanley Cup Final clinchers, joining Clint Benedict (1923, 1926) and Bernie Parent (1974, 1975).
Vasilevskiy becomes the first goaltender to win the award since Los Angeles Kings netminder Jonathan Quick in 2012 and just the 17th goaltender to claim the Conn Smythe in NHL history.
The netminder is also the sixth player—and first goalie—born outside of North America to win the award, joining Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Evgeni Malkin, Alex Ovechkin and Hedman.
While it's typical for a few players to build a case for playoff MVP, Vasilevskiy had as much of a challenge as any player trying to claim the Conn Smythe.
Brayden Point notched 14 goals and nine assists throughout the postseason, including a stretch where he scored in nine consecutive games against the New York Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes.
Nikita Kucherov had a solid case as well, posting 32 points (eight goals, 24 assists) over the course of the playoffs. Hedman, too, had a shot at repeating with 18 points (two goals, 16 assists) while skating an averaged of 24:38 per night.
Yet Vasilevskiy outplayed them all, coming up with major stop after major stop, ensuring his team never lost consecutive games and outworking one of the best goalies of his generation in Montreal Canadiens star Carey Price.
"Torches get passed, and I think Carey is still carrying the torch, but it’s getting passed to guys like Vasy," Lightning head coach John Cooper said earlier in the series. "It's the mental makeup. Carey Price has a demeanor about him that it exudes confidence. And he has an ability to turn the page. He has an ability to play at big moments, and he's grown into that."
Lightning Win 2nd Straight Stanley Cup Title With Game 5 Win vs. Canadiens
Jul 8, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning left wing Ross Colton (79) scores on Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price (31) during the second period in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
The Tampa Bay Lightning are back-to-back Stanley Cup Final champions after beating the visiting Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 5 on Wednesday at Amalie Arena.
Lightning center Ross Colton's goal at 13:27 of the second period was all Tampa Bay needed to secure the 4-1 series win in the best-of-seven matchup. David Savard and Ryan McDonagh contributed the assists.
— x - Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 8, 2021
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves en route to his fifth shutout this postseason. He made a pair of saves in the final minute as the Canadiens pressed Tampa Bay's end with an extra attacker after pulling goaltender Carey Price.
The Lightning became just the second team this century to win back-to-back Cups. The Pittsburgh Penguins also did so in 2016 and 2017.
Notable Performances
Lightning C Ross Colton: 1 G
Lightning RW Nikita Kucherov: 5 SOG
Lightning G Andrei Vasilevskiy: 22 SV
Canadiens RW Josh Anderson: 3 SOG
Vasilevskiy Leads the Way in Series-Clinching Win...Again
The Lightning are on top of the hockey world once again, and Vasilevskiy made sure of it with another spotless effort.
Not only did Vasilevskiy earn his fifth 2021 postseason shutout on Wednesday, but he also earned his fifth straight shutout in series-clinching games.
It's a remarkable accomplishment for the well-deserved Conn Smythe Trophy winner.
Andrei Vasilevskiy was a force to be reckoned with through the 2021 #StanleyCup Playoffs and is the winner of the 2021 Conn Smythe Trophy.
He only allowed eight goals during the Stanley Cup Final, and he ended with five of the 12 total shutouts by goaltenders this postseason, per Dimitri Filipovic of The Hockey PDOcast.
Chris Fallica of College Gameday broke down his performances in three notable games:
Andrei Vasilevskiy this postseason
G6 vs CAR - 29 saves in 2-0 road win. Game was 1-0 for 26:50 from 2nd to mid 3rd
G7 vs NYI - made a 1-0 lead stand up for 38:11 in a 1-0 win to reach Cup Final
G5 vs MTL - made a 1-0 lead stand up for 27:33 in a 1-0 game to win Stanley Cup
Mathematician Micah Blake McCurdy also showcased just how good Vasilevskiy was in the playoffs:
Vasilevskiy for the playoffs all up: 35 GA on 53.2 xG, for +18.2 goals saved more than an nhl average goalie over the course of 22 games. pic.twitter.com/SuHFUcW1gL
— Micah Blake McCurdy (@IneffectiveMath) July 8, 2021
And Kevin Neghandi of ESPN pointed out that the Lightning netminder was 14-0 following losses in the playoffs over the last two years.
Vasilevskiy was not tested too often in Game 5 as he faced just 22 shots, but he made some huge saves along the way, perhaps none more important than this stop on right wing Josh Anderson:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 8, 2021
He also held strong in the end of the game as Montreal maintained pressure in Tampa Bay's end, but nothing came of it as the Canadiens were kept off the board.
Ross Colton Is the Latest Unsung Lightning Hero
The Lightning have received key contributions from their entire lineup this postseason, but seeing the lone goal emerge Sunday from some new unsung heroes was still a bit surprising.
Colton, Savard and McDonagh combined to score 24 regular-season points. For context, eight Lightning players scored more than that amount by themselves.
That trio also had 16 total points in the playoffs before Game 5. Of note, five Lightning players had 17 or more playoff points prior to Wednesday.
And yet those aforementioned three players were the only ones to score any points at all in Game 5.
The Lightning have tremendous star power, with names like Nikita Kucherov, Brayden Point and Victor Hedman routinely delivering for the back-to-back champions.
However, the team runs deep, and the Lightning's excellent depth has proven to be their opponents' downfall at times. Pete Blackburn of Bally Sports noted that the Lightning's top players weren't hitting the goalsheet of late, but it didn't particularly matter.
Last five goal-scorers of the Lightning's Stanley Cup run...
Colton, a rookie who tied the Canadiens' Cole Caufield for the most goals by a first-year player in this season's playoffs (four), was one of only two players on the roster without a Cup before Wednesday. Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, that duo consists of Colton and Savard.
Colton also made some notable history along the way:
Hockey writer Chris Peters noted that Colton didn't exactly have a easy and direct route to the pros either:
Ross Colton, the latest of Tampa Bay's "yeah, we found this guy," drafted in his last year of draft eligibility out of Cedar Rapids in the USHL. Played two years at Vermont, got into Tampa's pro player factory in Syracuse and rounded out just in time to score Stanley Cup clincher
But the Lightning's strength is in their tremendous depth up and down the roster. Players like Colton have made the difference in this postseason, and now Tampa Bay is celebrating its second straight Stanley Cup.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor Wants Lightning to Lose to Canadiens to Win, Celebrate in TB
Jul 5, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning center Anthony Cirelli (71) controls a puck during the first period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals series against the Montreal Canadiens, Wednesday, June 30, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
The Tampa Bay Lightning are one win away from their second straight Stanley Cup triumph with a 3-0 series lead over the Montreal Canadiens heading into Monday night's Game 4.
Tampa Mayor Jane Castor is not-so-secretly hoping for a Game 5, albeit for good reason. With Game 4 set for Montreal and the series due to return to Tampa for a potential Game 5, Castor says she wants the Lightning to get a chance to celebrate in front of the home crowd.
"What we would like is for the Lightning to take it a little bit easy, to give the Canadiens just the smallest break, allow them to win one at home, and then bring it back to the Amalie Arena for the final and the winning of the Stanley Cup," Castor said Sunday. "We don't want to get ahead of ourselves. But they are playing some amazing, amazing hockey."
The Lightning were forced to celebrate their 2020 Cup victory without fanfare because of the COVID-19 pandemic. The NHL held the Stanley Cup Final in Montreal as part of a bubble arrangement.
Family and friends of players/staff were not permitted to cross the Canadian border for Games 3 and 4 in Montreal, so the team would be facing a similar situation to last year if they were to win Monday night.
Lightning Family Members Denied Exemption to Travel to Canada for Stanley Cup Final
Jul 3, 2021
MONTREAL, QC - JULY 02: Tampa Bay Lightning defenceman Jan Rutta (44) celebrates his goal with his teammates during the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs Final game 3 between the Tampa Bay Lightning versus the Montreal Canadiens on July 02, 2021, at Bell Centre in Montreal, QC (Photo by David Kirouac/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
If the Tampa Bay Lightning secure their second straight Stanley Cup title in Game 4 on Monday night, the team's celebration won't include family members.
Per ESPN's Emily Kaplan, NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly said the Canadian government didn't grant exemptions for Lightning family members to attend the game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Last month, the Canadian government approved the NHL's request for a travel exemption that allowed teams to travel between Canada and the U.S. for the final two rounds of the postseason without having to quarantine.
The league agreed that teams entering the country would undergo daily coronavirus testing and live in a modified bubble in which they had no contact with the public.
Per the Canadian government's website, anyone traveling into the country, "regardless of citizenship," is required to quarantine for 14 days even if they don't have any COVID-19 symptoms.
Kaplan noted that Lightning players, coaches and staff "have only been able to travel between their hotel and the arena" since arriving in Montreal prior to Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.
Canadiens interim head coach Dominique Ducharme returned to the bench for Friday's 6-3 loss. He had missed the team's previous six games after testing positive for COVID-19.
The Lightning will look to close out the Stanley Cup Final in Game 4 at the Bell Centre. They would become the first team to repeat as champions since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2015-16 and 2016-17.
Silent Star Nikita Kucherov Is Tampa's MVP as Lightning Close In on Stanley Cup
Jul 3, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) follows a play during the second period of Game 2 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals series against the Montreal Canadiens, Wednesday, June 30, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
As soon as it became apparent that the Montreal Canadiens would have trouble hanging in there against the vaunted Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, the conversation about who should win the Conn Smythe Trophy began.
Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy or center Brayden Point? What about one of Point's linemates, Nikita Kucherov? Sure, there is an argument for Montreal goalie Carey Price since this award is intended for the most valuable player in the Stanley Cup playoffs, meaning the entire postseason, and he did get the scrappy Habs into the Cup Final with some Vezina-worthy play.
But the player defining the Stanley Cup playoffs is Kucherov—even outside of the Conn Smythe conversation. Between the salary-cap conversation and his production, the right wing has been one of the focal points of the postseason.
"That's one of the best players in the world," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos told reporters after Game 1. "He's playing like a beast right now. He's so, so good."
With back-to-back 30-point postseason performances, he's in rarefied air. The only other players to do that were Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux.
You would be hard-pressed to find a more loaded roster than this Lightning vintage, so if you think of Vasilevskiy, Point or even defenseman Victor Hedman, so if he's not the first elite player on the roster you think of, that's why. He might not even be the first player you think of in a conversation about NHL greats because players like Connor McDavid and Nathan MacKinnon do still exist. And it's not like he's underrated considering he won the Hart Trophy in 2019 on the back of 128-point regular season.
But 32 postseason points and closing in on a second Stanley Cup in as many years would justify some hype. Kucherov has eight goals and 24 assists. No other player in the postseason has 24 points, with linemate Point the closest with 23.
"He’s an elite player in this league that has a scoring touch that not many guys can say they have," defenseman Ryan McDonagh said. "He can score in different fashions, power play and 5-on-5 and I think when he’s on his game he just lets the game come to him and take what’s given and is just in the right spots. Playing with some great linemates, he’s allowed to set them up a lot of times and they can set him up as well. He has that great finishing ability, so for us when he’s making plays out there it’s a great sign for us."
Kucherov scored his eighth goal a little under two minutes into in the second period Friday, finishing off a pretty pass by Ondrej Palat. The Habs turned over the puck in the offensive zone, and Erik Cernak sent a long outlet pass to Palat to start the rush. It increased the Lightning's lead to 3-1 and ended all hope of any comeback for the home team.
"Everybody's buying in, and everybody's doing their job," Kucherov said following Game 3. "And when everybody's doing their job, it makes it easier and we all play a full 60 minutes the right way, and that's what we're doing right now."
You might not know it from the few interviews he's done since the series began, but we might be seeing one of the great playoff performances. And it's coming after Kucherov missed the entire 2020-21 regular season while recovering from hip surgery.
"It was tough mentally, not being able to play, but that's all in the past," Kucherov said Monday. "I'm just really enjoying the moment and happy to be with the boys and just excited to play in the Final."
But it doesn't look like anything has hindered the 28-year-old. Throughout the spring and into summer, he's played as he always has, using a solid two-way game, explosive skating and a deadly shot. His uncanny ability to set up his teammates is evidenced by his assists. The power play lacked a significant punch after he left the ice injured during Game 6 of the semifinal round against the New York Islanders. Luckily for Tampa Bay, it hasn't had to be without him in the Final.
But here's where the controversy comes into play. Right now, per CapFriendly, the Lightning are around $18 million over the salary cap. After winning the Cup last season, it was assumed by many that they would have to break up the team to get under the flat cap. But general manager Julien BriseBois buried Kucherov's $9.5 million cap hit on long-term injured reserve all season and activated him ahead of the first game of the postseason against the Florida Panthers.
The Bolts broke no rules despite the cap maneuvering not sitting right with many. After all, the team was good enough to make it to the playoffs without an integral part of their lineup. But.
The league didn't find any evidence that Tampa Bay was holding a healthy player out of the lineup during the regular season, and the salary cap doesn't matter during the playoffs. Prior to the first game of the Stanley Cup Final, commissioner Gary Bettman said the Lightning did not improperly circumvent the cap.
So Kucherov returned to a team that was already good enough to win without him. This could be a reason he doesn't get the Conn Smythe despite the fact that it is supposed to be awarded based solely on postseason performance.
But it's less about individual performances anyway. This Lightning team is on the verge of cementing itself as a dynasty because Kucherov complements the team and vice versa, which is why they are in a position to sweep the Habs and claim their second straight Stanley Cup.
"The individual accolades got pushed to the side," Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. "I know it sounds cliche, but it's the truth. They all just pull in the same direction. It's amazing to listen on the bench compared to four years ago. It's amazing what's being said and how everybody speaks up. It's been marvelous to watch and watch this team grow.
"It took us some time, but now it's starting to pay some dividends. We've still got a ways to go here, but regardless, they've put the team first, and that's why we've had success."
The Lightning were already a scary team. Kucherov makes them seem downright unstoppable.
Victor Hedman, Lightning Beat Canadiens in Game 3 to Take Commanding 3-0 Series Lead
Jul 3, 2021
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 30: Tyler Johnson #9 of the Tampa Bay Lightning plays against Shea Weber #6 of the Montreal Canadiens during the second period of Game Two of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on June 30, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Florence Labelle/NHLI via Getty Images)
A change of venue didn't seem to slow down the Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday as the Bolts defeated the Montreal Canadiens 6-3 at Bell Centre in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final. That gives the defending champions a massive 3-0 series lead and puts them one win away from becoming the first team to win the Cup in back-to-back years since the Pittsburgh Penguins did it in 2016 and 2017.
Only four teams in NHL history have come back to win a series after trailing 3-0 with the Los Angeles Kings the last to do so in 2014 during the first round. It's only happened once in the Stanley Cup Final back when the Toronto Maple Leafs stunned the Detroit Red Wings in 1942.
Montreal has now been outscored 14-5 in the series despite peppering Tampa goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy for 74 shots over the last two games. Even with Lightning forward Alex Killorn (lower body) out for a second straight game, the Bolts hardly lacked offense with goals by five different players.
Notable Performers
Victor Hedman, D, Tampa Bay Lightning: 1 Goal, 1 Assist, 2 Blocks
Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning: 32 Saves, 3 Goals Allowed
Nick Suzuki, C, Montreal Canadiens: 1 Goal, 2 SOG, 2 Blocks
Carey Price, G, Montreal Canadiens: 24 Saves, 5 Goals Allowed
The Canadiens committed the hockey sin of allowing a goal in the first or final two minutes of a period when Blake Coleman scored a one-handed goal with a less than a second remaining in the middle frame of Game 2.
Friday night proved that if even the Habs learned their lesson, they were powerless to stop themselves from repeating the error. Twice.
Tampa's Jan Ruuta broke the scoring open at 1:52 of the first period, spoiling the first Stanley Cup game on Canadian soil in a decade just moments after puck drop. The 1-0 lead didn't last long as Victor Hedman added a power-play goal against the league's best penalty kill barely two minutes later.
— x - Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) July 3, 2021
It was a rare special teams mistake for the Habs, allowing Anthony Cirelli to screen Montreal's Carey Price without any defender there to move him. It was also the first of many mistakes on the night.
The Canadiens gave up multiple odd-man rushes, putting more pressure on Price than necessary and giving way to a flurry of high-leverage scoring chances, the next most brutal of which came on Nikita Kucherov's goal just 1:40 into the second period.
Ondrej Palat ➡️ Nikita Kucherov
Make that another multi-point night for No. 86. #StanleyCup
#TBLightning 14-2 when scoring first in playoffs. Two point shots from d-men. Two quality screens on Carey Price. Victor Hedman said they planned to bring it + they certainly did
Again it was the Tampa offense creating an odd-man rush and immediately capitalizing. Again it was Montreal allowing a goal in the first two minutes. And again it was the Bolts refusing to let up, scoring a fourth goal two minutes after Kucherov's eighth of the postseason.
A combination of a relentless Tampa Bay club and a failure to limit mistakes has the Canadiens on the brink of elimination.
Vasilevskiy Strengthens Conn Smythe Case
The prevailing thought heading into the Cup Final was that Price had the best chance to win the Conn Smythe Award as playoff MVP. Price has long been considered one of the best goalies in the league and has Vezina and Jennings Trophies to prove it.
In 17 playoff games before the Final, Price allowed two or fewer goals in 12 of them. He's allowed 13 goals in three games against Tampa Bay so far.
#Habs Price on his play in this game and the series thus far: “I can definitely play better. It’s just not good enough so far.”
Instead, it's the goalie playing on the opposite end of the ice who's looking like the Conn Smythe front-runner through three games in the Final. Vasilevskiy has been as relentless in net as his team's offense with the puck.
The 6'3", 225-pound netminder has always been well regarded, but he's playing at his highest level yet. That starts with a sterling 1.89 goals allowed average and 93.9 save percentage in the postseason.
In the Cup Final alone, Vasilevskiy has turned aside 92 of 97 shots faced, but it's the timing of his saves that matter as much as the volume of them.
Vasilevskiy is putting on an absolute clinic.
The glove save through traffic was insane, then getting across and challenging Weber’s shot.
Tampa Bay has taken a 2-1 lead in each of the first three games of the series so far. The Lightning have scored the next goal in each of those instances. Vasilevskiy has given his team all the support it needs on the back end and then some.
He may head back to Florida with the Conn Smythe by his side if he's able to keep it up.
What's Next?
The two clubs will stay put in Montreal with Game 4 slated for Monday, July 5 at 8 p.m. on NBC.
Lighting Take 2-0 Series Lead Over Canadiens with 3-1 Game 2 Win
Jul 1, 2021
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JUNE 28: Carey Price #31 of the Montreal Canadiens defends against Ondrej Palat #18 of the Tampa Bay Lightning during Game One of the 2021 NHL Stanley Cup Finals against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Amalie Arena on June 28, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Bruce Bennett/Getty Images)
The Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning are two wins away from successfully defending their title.
Despite missing forward Alex Killorn (lower body), the Bolts easily won Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final over the Montreal Canadiens, 3-1. The victory continued a run of dominant play by the Lightning, who are 6-2 over their last eight playoff games while outscoring their opponents 27-11.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 1, 2021
Montreal goalie Carey Price made 20 saves in the loss as Tampa pelted him with 23 shots in Game 2 after he faced 27 shots in Game 1.
The series now moves to the Bell Centre as the Lightning become just the second American team to play north of the border this season. Tampa leads the best-of-seven series 2-0.
Notable Performers
Blake Coleman, C, Tampa Bay Lightning: 1 Goal, 3 SOG, 3 Hits
Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Tampa Bay Lightning: 42 Saves, 1 Goal Allowed
Nick Suzuki, C, Montreal Canadiens: 1 Goal, 9 SOG, 2 Hits
Jeff Petry, D, Montreal Canadiens: 5 SOG, -2 Plus/Minus, 2 Hits
Blake Coleman's Backbreaker
Giving up a goal with less than two minutes remaining in a period is one of hockey's biggest momentum-changers. Giving up a goal with less than two seconds remaining is nearly unthinkable—both because of how rare buzzer-beaters are in the NHL and how many things have to go right, or wrong, for them to happen.
Tampa's Blake Coleman defied those odds Wednesday night, scoring what would ultimately serve as the game-winning goal in Game 2, and gave his team a 90 percent chance of repeating as Stanley Cup champions.
According to the NHL, teams that take a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final hold an all-time record of 46-5, or a 90.2 winning percentage.
Yet the truly most incredible part of Coleman's goal isn't that he scored it one-handed while falling to the ice with time expiring. It's that he's scored like it before. Twice, actually. The first time came in an October 2019 tilt against the Winnipeg Jets when Coleman played for the New Jersey Devils, and the second came in the playoffs last year with Tampa Bay against the Boston Bruins.
So you're telling us we've seen this before from Blake Coleman.... 🤯 #StanleyCup
— Hockey Night in Canada (@hockeynight) July 1, 2021
This may have been his best version of it yet.
After a ghastly turnover in the neutral zone with less than 10 seconds remaining in the frame, the Bolts opened up a two-on-one with Barclay Goodrow flipping the puck to Coleman on his left wing, who then buried it behind a stunned Price.
The Habs outshot Tampa 16-6 in the second period before Coleman got his hand on the puck, using an unassisted tally from Nick Suzuki midway through the frame to knot things up at 1. Getting out of the period with a tie on the road would've been a victory in itself.
Instead, the Canadiens had nearly 20 minutes to sit in the locker room and replay the final 10 seconds of the period in their heads.
Habs Head Home Down, Not Out
This is certainly not the way the Canadiens expected to return home after two games.
Down 0-2 is tough enough. Down 0-2 after pelting the opposing goalie with 43 shots against an offense missing its second-best point-producer in Killorn might have long-term consequences.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 1, 2021
Montreal looked arguably as good Wednesday night as it had at any point this postseason. The Habs outshot Tampa 43-23, killed off all three Lightning power plays and were only credited with two giveaways to the Bolts' six. This was Montreal's statement game, and Tampa had no trouble erasing it.
While there are a few areas the Canadiens would like to clean up—going 1-of-3 on the man-advantage including a four-on-three is a good place to start—this wasn't a game where Montreal made many mistakes.
Even Coleman's goal was the product of him taking advantage of a fluky situation rather than a Habs error.
The biggest mistake committed by the Canadiens came on Ondrej Palat's goal late in the third period, when a blind pass from defenseman Joel Edmundson behind the net inadvertently put the puck on Palat's stick with Price looking the other way.
There wasn't much the Habs could do at that point. Barely four minutes remained in regulation and everything else they'd thrown at Tampa Bay had been easily brushed aside. After two games in the Stanley Cup Final, the Canadiens are still looking for a way to dent the reigning champs.
What's Next?
Games 3 and 4 head to Montreal's Bell Centre with Game 3 slated for Friday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBC.
Kucherov, Stamkos Power Lightning Past Canadiens in Game 1 of 2021 Stanley Cup Final
Jun 29, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy blocks a shot during the second period in Game 1 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals against the Montreal Canadiens, Monday, June 28, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
The Montreal Canadiens are trying to end a Stanley Cup title drought dating back 28 years. First, they'll have to figure out Andrei Vasilevskiy. And the Tampa Bay Lightning's electric offense. And their stout defense.
Turns out the Lightning are the defending champions for a reason.
The Lightning and their star goalkeeper proved to be quite the foil for the Canadiens on Monday night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final, winning 5-1 behind Vasilevskiy's 18 saves and a goal-scoring barrage from the team's wealth of talented forwards.
Erik Cernak, Yanni Gourde, Nikita Kucherov (two) and Steven Stamkos scored for the Lightning, who are now just three wins away from repeating as champions.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 29, 2021
Brayden Point added three assists for the Lightning.
The Lightning just utterly dominated this one. They outshot the Canadiens 27-19, blocked 15 shots and held a 10-5 advantage in takeaways. Both teams brought the physicality, but it was the Lightning who also brought the scoring touch.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) June 29, 2021
But they were too few and far between Monday night.
Not that adversity will bother the Canadiens too much. They were down 3-1 in their first-round series versus the Toronto Maple Leafs before advancing. They lost the first game in the Stanley Cup Semifinal against the Vegas Golden Knights before winning in six. They're 5-1 in overtime games.
It's been a magical run, and it's far from over. But Monday night the Lightning were just better, full stop.
Nikita Kucherov was asked what was working in Game 1 for the Lightning. "Stick to our game plan. That's what's working. The coaches are telling us what to do and I think we're doing a hell of a job listening to them." #Bolts#MTLvsTBL
Finishing with 3 points (1 goal, 2 assists) in a 5-1 @TBLightning win over the Canadiens tonight, Kucherov joined Wayne Gretzky (6 times), Mark Messier (3), Jari Kurri and Mario Lemieux as the only players in NHL history to post multiple career 30+ point #StanleyCup Playoff years https://t.co/2Gq6bGVDXc
It helps having a superstar like Kucherov. Or a netminder like Vasilevskiy. Or...well, it helps to be as loaded as the Lighting.
Game 2 is scheduled for Wednesday night at 8 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
Battered and Bruised, Lightning Grind Their Way Back to Stanley Cup Final
Jun 26, 2021
Members of the Tampa Bay Lightning pose for a photo with the Prince of Wales trophy after defeating the New York Islanders during Game 7 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup semifinal playoff series Friday, June 25, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
Nikita Kucherov skated gingerly on the Amalie Arena ice during media timeouts Friday night. The Tampa Bay Lightning winger had been hit with a vicious (though apparently not malicious) cross-check by New York Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield two days prior during Game 6 of the Stanley Cup playoff semifinals on Long Island.
Kucherov's health was in question, but had coach Jon Cooper told him he was subbing in another player, Kucherov probably would have just made his way onto the ice anyway.
"Well, there was no question if I was going to play or not," Kucherov said during his postgame Zoom news conference. "Game 7 you've got to sacrifice yourself and play in this moment and share with the boys, and I felt good today."
The defending Stanley Cup champs will continue their title defense Monday night against the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final. But Kucherov isn't the only one who's banged up. Defenseman Mikhail Sergachev took a big from Matt Martin in Game 7. It could have been a boarding major, but I won't get into the awful officiating. I'm sure there will be plenty of bad calls and non-calls in the Final.
But no team gets to Game 7 in the semifinal round without absorbing a few blows. The thing about this team is that it's built to withstand them. The Lightning have so many weapons that Sergachev is in the third pairing with David Savard, who was a top-pairing defenseman with the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Tampa Bay is built to win—not just in the regular season but deep into the playoffs. The building started under Steve Yzerman nearly a decade ago, and it's continued under Julien BriseBois, a veritable salary-cap wizard. The Lightning have long been one of the best teams in the salary-cap era, but until recently, they had nothing to show for it.
Since 2014-15, Tampa Bay has been right there with those teams but unable to translate regular-season wins into championships until last year. The Bolts lost to the Blackhawks in that third and final Cup run in 2014-15. The next season, they lost to the eventual champion Penguins in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Final. They lost in Game 7 at home in the same round two years later, falling to the Barry Trotz-coached eventual champion Washington Capitals.
They won their first Presidents' Trophy in 2018-19 with a remarkable 128 points, the fourth-best regular season in NHL history. It was quite possibly one of the best teams ever assembled, but Tampa Bay was swept out of the first round by Columbus, leading to palpable anger and embarrassment.
"It was all building blocks to get here," Cooper said.
All the anger and disappointment has dissipated. The Lightning did what they were supposed to do last year and won the Stanley Cup. Great players such as Kucherov, Andrei Vasilevskiy, Steven Stamkos and Brayden Point secured their legacies. Now, they'll try to build on that by winning a second straight Cup.
"It's so damn hard to win in this league," Cooper said. "But last year I just found out we could win in different ways, but just the warrior mentality this group had, and it was prevalent tonight. After a really tough loss the other night, you just can't count them out, though. They've learned to defend, and another masterful performance in the defensive zone to win a huge Game 7 for us."
Like Cooper said, these Bolts can win in myriad ways. While they have enough firepower to overwhelm just about every team in the league, against the Islanders they needed to win with defense. They put on a clinic.
In Gamey 7, the only goal was scored short-handed by Yanni Gourde in the second period. It was the only short-handed goal New York allowed all season. In order to make it stand up, Tampa Bay needed to play an exceptionally detailed game in front of Vasilevskiy. There were times the Lightning looked gassed, but they found another level. They blocked 21 shots, they got sticks in shooting lanes, they executed in the defensive zone with precision and didn't take any penalties in the third period.
Trotz and his system tend to wear out opponents. But the Islanders couldn't rope-a-dope their way past a team that is so deep and powerful.
"It's becoming a broken record, but it's not how many you put in the net, it's how many you keep out," Cooper said. "It's a hard lesson to learn, especially the players coming up today and the skill, the rules getting put into place that open up skill and to skate and to score. But when you get to the playoffs, it's about defending."
The Bolts head into the Final as heavy favorites. The powerhouse facing the underdog Habs. Montreal wouldn't have even reached the postseason if not for the realigned divisions.
"You can't predict that it's going to happen, but that's the vision of everybody in this organization—knowing that we could do this," Cooper said. "But look, we haven't won the Stanley Cup this year. We're chasing it just like Montreal is. To be down to the final two in back-to-back years is a pretty remarkable accomplishment, and that's all well and good to one day put on your gravestone that you won a Stanley Cup, but to do it two years in a row, you are talking about now your team is special."
The Lightning are trying to show that they aren't just a great team but also one of the special ones. Back-to-back Stanley Cup Final appearances won't prove that, but back-to-back wins would. How much did the Islanders take out of the Bolts in that last round? It doesn't really matter, because if Tampa Bay is a special team, it will find another level once again.
Lightning Eliminate Islanders, Advance to Face Canadiens in 2021 Stanley Cup Final
Jun 26, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning center Yanni Gourde celebrates after scoring a goal against the New York Islanders during the second period in Game 7 of an NHL hockey Stanley Cup semifinal playoff series Friday, June 25, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
The Tampa Bay Lightning have advanced to face the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final after beating the New York Islanders 1-0 in Game 7 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series on Friday in Tampa's Amalie Arena.
Yanni Gourde's short-handed goal at 1:49 of the second period was all the Lightning needed to take down the Islanders en route to their quest for back-to-back Stanley Cup victories.
Shayna Goldman of the Too Many Men podcast gave credit to Ryan McDonagh, who didn't get on the scoresheet for the play but was instrumental in the Lightning goal:
A longer look at the play leading up to Gourde's short-handed goal. McDonagh kills some time by holding the puck along the boards. pic.twitter.com/gZamFzXN8q
ESPN's John Buccigross shouted out Gourde and Anthony Cirelli, who came up with the primary assist:
Cirelli is such a money player. Gets no power play time. Does all the important stuff. Most would have dumped this in..Gourde has been the Lightning’s most entertaining player. Pre workout drink in human form. Maniac. https://t.co/KVgPGxrZM2
Yanni Gourde and his linemates just continue to hound pucks in the offensive zone. And then Palat gets on and sets up a little 2-man game with him and Gourde for a good shot from the right circle. Varlamov makes the save. #Bolts#NYIvsTBL
Now the Lightning are back in the Stanley Cup yet again as the Bolts look to make it back-to-back titles.
Islanders Fight Hard But Can't Muster Much Against Lightning
Credit to the Islanders, first and foremost, for a tremendous playoff run that saw them upset the Pittsburgh Penguins and Boston Bruins.
New York's tremendous effort and resilience shined all playoffs, and the team can hang its head high knowing it left it out on the ice.
On Friday, Tampa simply outclassed New York, which was on its heels for much of the evening. That was the case in the first period, when Tampa outshot New York 14-5. Andrew Gross of Newsday summed up much of that 20-minute frame well:
Lightning controlling play to this point. Clearing their zone has been an issue for Isles.
#Isles get out of first in a 0-0 tie with Lightning, who are up on shots 14-5. Isles struggled to get puck out of their own zone, had little energy to establish a forecheck after that.
The Islanders did make a push late in the second, but that was shut down.
#Isles got some push in the closing minutes, but Tampa shuts down every shooting lane. Down 1-0 after 2.#Isles need one more third-period rally to keep their dream alive.
That changed when the Islanders pulled Varlamov for the extra attacker, but the Isles still had trouble getting the puck out of their own end as Lightning players did an exceptional job pinning the puck deep behind New York's goal line to kill time.
The Isles did put the pressure on as time wound down, but the Lightning blocked four shots despite New York playing with an extra attacker. New York only got one shot on goal in the 2:37 it played without Varlamov.
New York is now heading home early, but the Islanders still had a tremendous season that gives the team more hope for a brighter future.
What's Next?
Tampa Bay will host Montreal for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Monday at 8 p.m. ET.
If the Lightning win the Cup, they would be the first team to accomplish the feat since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.
A Canadiens win would give Montreal an NHL-record 25 Stanley Cups and its first since 1993.
