Side By Side

The engravers for this year's panel of names on the Stanley Cup won't have to look far if they need spelling clarifications. The Tampa Bay Lightning made it back-to-back names on the Silve Chalice with their 1-0 victory over the Montreal Canadiens to win the Stanley Cup Final in five games. Tampa Bay showed that they had weapons on all parts of the ice and in all situations, and it led to them eliminating the Florida Panthers, the Carolina Hurricanes, and the New York Islanders en route to their victory over the Canadiens.

Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe Trophy for his amazing playoff run, and he likely deserved it in being the stopper for two-straight Stanley Cup victories. His work in these playoffs was second-to-none, and he deserves a little recognition for how well he played in helping the Lightning win their second rings.

Patrick Maroon became the 81st player to win three-straight Stanley Cups, and the first player in the expansion era to win three in a row with different teams and the first since Ed Litzenberger won four straight from 1960-64 with the Chicago in 1960 and Torontofrom 1961-64. He's also the first player to do it since the New York Islanders had a pile of players do it back in the late-1970s and early 1980s, so he's in pretty elite company.

By winning in Game Five at home at Amalie Arena, it appears that the Lightning made one person's wish come true. Granted, after winning in Edmonton one year ago with zero fans in the building, having 18,000 screaming fans cheering the victory probably felt pretty good for the Lightning. There's nothing like that atmosphere when a hockey arena is rocking after achieving the ultimate goal!

I'll say it here and now: congratulations to the Tampa Bay Lightning, the 2020-21 Stanley Cup Champions! As much as last season was earned through the rigors of playing in the bubble, this season presented its own challenges. Kudos for the Lightning on overcoming those challenges, rising to the occasion, and capturing their second-straight and third Stanley Cup in franchise history!

After a few weeks off, the NHL gets back to business with the expansion draft, the NHL Entry Draft, and free agency, so take a breath and get reset, folks. It won't be long before we're setting up for the 2021-22 NHL season!

Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!