The Tampa Bay Lightning have been crowned NHL champions, winning the Stanley Cup final series 4-2 over the Dallas Stars.
Tampa Bay wrapped up the seven match series with a 2-0 win in Game 6, celebrating despite the absence of a crowd in the Rogers Place arena in Edmonton, Canada.
It is the Lightning's second Stanley Cup triumph, following their 4-3 victory over the Calgary Flames in 2004, and a 4-2 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks in the 2015 final series.
Andrei Vasilevskiy, you deserve this moment. #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/91Ch8v7pHS — NHL (@NHL) September 29, 2020
Brayden Point led the way for Tampa Bay with his play-off leading 14th goal of the post-season, a power-play score in the first period, while Blake Coleman found the net in the second.
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was another key factor for Tampa, completing a 22-save shut-out.
Dallas had stayed alive by taking Game 5 by 3-2 in double overtime but, battling a lengthy injury list, they had no answer to the Lightning on Monday.
Blake Coleman (@BColes25) gives the @TBLightning a 2-0 lead... 👀 #StanleyCup 🇺🇸: https://t.co/roouJCg4M9 @nbc🇨🇦: https://t.co/Sus3Z5h04E @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/AS8ezAt3dz — NHL (@NHL) September 29, 2020
Tampa outshot Dallas 29-22 and played like the force they have been for the past several years.
Capping off the victory, their defenceman Victor Hedman won the Conn Smythe Trophy for best player in the play-offs.
CELLY ON, @TBLightning. IT'S YOURS! #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/NQzcjpCtjh — NHL (@NHL) September 29, 2020
After a break of almost four months due to the coronavirus, the NHL was able to complete its season by playing its last 130 games in two Covid bubbles in Toronto and Edmonton.
"It takes a lot to be in a bubble for 80 days or whatever long it was," Hedman said. "But it's all worth it now, we're coming home with the Cup."
