Here are five things we learned about Lightning so far on their journey after the 2022 season and what they mean for the final showdown.

The three-peat is accessible

The NHL has not had a three-man team as Stanley Cup champions since 1983, when the New York Islanders ended their dynasty. Since then, six other teams have won consecutive Stanley Cups. Five of them did not make it to the second round until Lightning won the East this season. “You do not have these opportunities often. They do not come. It ‘s like we’ve seen the top of the mountain. Let’ s go on for more,” said Lightning coach Jon Cooper. It’s a classic Stanley Cup match: The Colorado Avalanche are finally trying to win their first Cup since 2001 after a few years as a top contender. and Lightning, now just four wins away from an unprecedented NHL season that began in 2005. “Getting there for the first time was a dream come true. Getting there for the second time, next year, was also a dream. There was no going back. Going for a third time is unbelievable,” he said. Cooper. “To watch them grow, watch the pain … I’m totally impressed with what they do to win a hockey game. No one would blame them for saying ‘oh, we won one or two.’ But go for a third.” ; I am impressed”. To win a third consecutive Cup, the Lightning will have to beat the one that Stamkos believes is the best team in the NHL. “Colorado? Maybe the best team in the league,” said Stamkos. “As you advance to the playoffs, each round gets harder and each opponent gets tougher. There is a reason there are two teams left and it is because they are the two best teams. We will have our hands full.”

(mostly) old people, same success

The Avalanche face a Lightning team whose core is essentially the same as the teams that won back-to-back Cups. Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning face off in the Stanley Cup final. You can watch all seven games on ABC, ESPN + and ESPN. Match 1: Wed., Jun 15, 8 ET (@ COL) Match 2: Sat., June 18, 8 ET (@ COL) Match 3: Mon., June 20, 8 ET (@ TB) Match 4: Wed. , June 22, 8 ET (@ TB) Game 5 *: Fri., June 24, 8 ET (@ COL) Game 6 *: Sun., June 26 8 ET (@ TB) Game 7 *: Wed, June 28 , 8 ET (@ COL) *It it’s necessary Tampa Bay is powered by stars:

Center Steven Stamkos, the team captain with 481 career goals Winger Nikita Kucherov, former league MVP and top playoff scorer Center Braden Point, who missed almost two rounds due to injury but has scored more goals in the playoffs than any other player in the last three seasons. Defenseman Victor Hedman nominated for six consecutive seasons for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defender and MVP of the 2020 playoffs Defender Ryan McDonagh, a steadfast veteran Goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskiy, the MVP of the playoffs in 2021

They are backed by a returning cast that includes winger Ondrej Palat, who scored two winning goals against the Rangers. Tough forwards Alex Killorn and Pat Maroon, who is trying to play for the fourth consecutive Cup winner. Ace center-back Anthony Cirelli, who closed the Rangers’ front line. and Mikhail Sergachev’s smooth defense in skating. One of the most impressive things about this run? That Lightning lost their entire line of control and some key players from their last two Cup wins. replaced them with out-of-season pickup veterans (Corey Perry, Pierre-Edouard Bellemare) and acquisitions with trading deadlines (Brandon Hagel, Nick Paul). and I have not lost a single rhythm. “We were looking for an application,” said GM Julien BriseBois. “We are looking for children who have pride and ambition. Pride is what will lead you to keep pushing yourself when things are not going well for you. Ambition will fuel your continued success. You are hungry for even more.”

Kucherov is an elite

Kucherov is an experienced scorer and also has excellent playing ability. Note LoMoglio / NHLI via Getty Images Avalanche and Lightning both have elite skaters who can take on games. Kucherov is the master among them. Kucherov has 23 points in 17 games, probably split evenly between 5-on-5 and power play. No NHL player has scored more points than Kucherov in the last three seasons. While his bravery in scoring is elite, it is his ability to play and the distribution of points that allow him to collect points. Do not look beyond the conference finals. His perfect touch on Audrey Palat scored the winning goal in Game 3, with the whole arena thinking about extra time. In the 6th game, his passage to Stamkos as the captain fell into the net created the goal of victory and the series. It is a regulator for Lightning. When he is confident and runs aggressively, they pay attention. “You can hear the chatter on the bench when he comes [the ice]. “The kids know that your best player is ‘active’ in a huge game,” Stamkos said. If Lightning wins a third consecutive Stanley Cup, it could be Kucherov’s turn to lift the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs.

Can the Avs beat Vasilevskiy?

2 About Colorado has taken a few goalkeeping breaks this season. The Nashville Predators had no injured key Juuse Saros. The St. Louis Blues lost a resurgent Jordan Binnington to injury in Game 3. And Edmonton Oilers’s goalkeeper Mike Smith was … well, Mike Smith. Opposing goalkeepers have a combined rebound of 0.886 against Avalanche this post-season. But apart from the unpredictable, the Avalanche will face their toughest online thinking challenge in the Stanley Cup final – and the player considered by many to be the best goalkeeper in the world. The post-season did not start well for Vasilevskiy, as he scored 22 goals in seven games for the high-octane Toronto Maple Leafs. But he was great when he was more important, he stopped 30 of the 31 shots in the 7th game. Except for a hiccup in Game 1 against the Rangers, after a nine-day sacking, Vasilevsky was completely dominant. As coach Jon Cooper said, he got “his mojo back” as the playoffs continued. At Vasilevskiy, the Avalanche face one of the best post-season goalkeepers in NHL history. Not only is he good, but he’s when he’s at his best: In the previous 23 games that marked the series, Vasilevskiy has averaged 1.65 goals and six shutouts. A third consecutive Stanley Cup could consolidate its legacy as one of the best ever. “When we look back, when we get older, this will be something that will stay there for a long time. It is very nice to play with a player who will become one of the best they have ever played in the game,” Killorn said. “This is how you measure players: How they play in big games. He was just awesome in those games.”

This adaptability to the league

The Avs have not faced a goalkeeper anywhere near Andrei Vasilevskiy’s caliber this post-season. Rich Graessle / Icon Sportswire via Getty Images During their run to the final, the Avalanche were a team that can win an 8-6 game as comfortably as they can win a 4-0 shutout. In fact, they both did the same in the series against the Edmonton Oilers. According to Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon, the Avalanche can play offensively at home and then play “boring and thick” street hockey to slow down teams. The Avalanche cook with a recipe created by Lightning in their two previous league seasons. Tampa Bay have attacking players going goal to goal with the Avalanche, who lead the playoffs with 4.64 goals per game. But the Lightning also have the ability to win 1-0, with veteran players embodying the patience required to do so. “I think it’s just faith in ourselves and faith in the work you do. But trust is the word. We trust every man who goes through these boards to do his job. Whether you score or not, are the little things that “You do it. It’s the defense. It’s the blocked shots. It’s the sacrifice. You do not complain about your role. It’s going out and playing as hard as you can for the guy sitting next to you in these locker rooms,” Stamkos said. . “That’s why this team is so special. We do not know what will happen here in the next 10-14 days. But we know we will give it our all.” We can not say how a series will play before it is played, but it would not be strange to see the Stanley Cup Final become a battle between the Colorado attack and the variety of ways that Lightning will try to defend it. They have Vasilevsky as their backbone. They have Hedman and McDonagh playing close to 47 minutes per game between them. They have a newly formed control line with Hagel, Cirelli and Killorn dominating the Rangers in 5-on-5, and a collection of proud strikers defending by any means. “Is it contagious?” [block a shot] and then you have the opportunity to do it. You come to the bench and it’s not a fun place if you are not willing to do that. “So the kids are in line from that point of view,” Cooper said. “This is the story with us for many years. It’s somewhat integrated into our culture. “ A championship culture and a culture that should make a great Stanley Cup final against the Avalanche. Stamkos said the Avalanche were a team Lightning expected to have already played in the Stanley Cup. Colorado failed to advance to the second round for three consecutive seasons. “Now they are broken. They just have an incredible mix of veteran players, power stars, mills, goalkeeper. A huge challenge for us,” Stamkos said. “We know how to play. It’s no secret that they have some electric players.” Like Lightning. They can run and shoot. But most likely, their defense will be the one that could make the difference between becoming the sixth team since 1983 to be left behind …