An exciting series of hockey has come to an end. Two teams entered the ice, but only one left Stanley Cup Champions. The Dallas Stars and Tampa Bay Lightning were two teams that were hungry for the cup. Neither team has won the Cup in over 15 years; keeping the thirst for the cup booming. Alas, after a rigorous six games, it was the Bolts who skated off victorious.
NHL had fans cheering through the big screen which helped keep the playoff atmosphere alive. Fans rallied outside of Amalie Arena to witness the action among other Bolt fans. You could feel the excitement of a team radiating from their win. 29-year-old Victor Hedman took home a trophy of his own. He was named MVP and given the Conn Smythe trophy. With a busy 25 game season, the Swedish native scored ten goals and assisted on twelve. Hedman kept his eye on the prize to bring the cup back to Florida for the first time since 2004.
Tampa’s victory over the Dallas Stars wasn’t an easy one. Starting the season with a disadvantage, Tampa had to play without their captain, Steven Stamkos. The 30-year-old has been out since March due to injury. The pressure was on knowing they were up against a physical team like Dallas. Everyone had to bring their “A-game” every night. Andrei Vasilevkiy, the goaltender for the Bolts, had an outstanding record. It’s hard to believe it was his first season in the playoffs. Vasilevkiy had his first career shutout over Dallas in game six. Tampa Bay, winning the series 4-2.
Pat Maroon has been an incredible add-on to the Lighting. Traded from the St. Louis Blues this past season, Maroon found a comfortable home in Florida. As a back-to-back Stanley Cup Champion, the 32-year-old will have his name engraved into the Cup two years in a row. The trade came as a surprise after the Blues won the Cup. Trading a valuable player of the team seemed rash. The saying “everything happens for a reason” fits in well here.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the playoffs were put on hold earlier this year and resumed at mid-year. The regular season would typically start in October, but due to the shifts, things have changed. Until the NHL comes forward with a statement on how hockey will proceed, fans will have to wait for further details. For now, Tampa Bay has a big reason to celebrate as Stanley has a new home for a year.
