Light It Up, Tampa

Tonight's your night, Tampa Bay. Celebrate it loudly and proudly because you were one of the best teams for the last two seasons without any doubt. Last season's heartache and heartbreak can be forgotten as the dreams that were dashed by a lacklustre playoff performance one year ago are erased with the celebration and jubilation seen tonight. The Tampa Bay Lightning are the 2020 Stanley Cup champions!

Whatever anger and frustration and disappointment that fans had with this Lightning team following the infathomable sweep out of the playoffs by the Columbus Blue Jackets is likely replaced with cheering, excitement, and anticipation of a parade following the Lightning's 2-0 win in Game Five over the Dallas Stars. It's fitting that Brayden Point scored the opening goal that turned out to be the game-winner with assists going to Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman because those three players were all in the running for the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP.

Blake Coleman, acquired by the Lightning for this playoff run, added the second Tampa Bay goal midway through the period, and Patrick Maroon, a Stanley Cup winner on year ago with the St. Louis Blues, picked up an assist on Coleman's goal. If we want to look at shrewd moves made by Julien BriseBois, those two plus the acquisitions of veteran defenders Kevin Shattenkirk and Zach Bogosian really solidified the blue line for Tampa Bay while the aforementioned Coleman, Maroon, and Barclay Goodrow were all acquired to play defensive roles on the forward lines while providing some offensive spark.

Those players plus the core group of guys that Tampa Bay had made them a formidable force this season, and the end result - without their captain in Steven Stamkos - was that this team was better than all the rest at the end of the season. Drink it up, Tampa Bay, because you stand alone!

Full credit to the Dallas Stars who battled hard right until the end as well. Dallas gave as much as they got in these playoffs, but they ran intoa well-oiled machine in Tampa Bay who simply were playing great hockey when they needed it most. No one will fault Dallas for losing to Tampa Bay, and I'm especially impressed that they did it without Ben Bishop as Anton Khudobin was lights-out most nights in this bubble situation. Kudos to the Dallas Stars as they earned the right to represent the Western Conference after a stellar playoff run!

EA Sports had called it for a few years now, but 2020 was finally the year that the Tampa Bay Lightning made it real! Congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning, your Stanley Cup champions!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!