TAMPA -- The Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001 with a 2-1 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amalie Arena on Sunday.
"Twenty-plus years of just dreaming, wanting and working for it," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "Just finally coming to fruition after a lot of crazy years and a lot of hard work. This group is just amazing, and all the way from the top to our massage therapists to our wives to the fans to everybody working in Ball Arena. It's incredible.
"[General manager Joe Sakic] did a great job of picking up some pieces along the way that really, really made us hard to play against. You look at [Cogliano], you look at [Darren Helm], you look at [Nico Sturm], [Manson], you look at all these guys, all these pieces that, they just want to win so bad and they just want to do whatever it takes, and it just adds up to just a really hard team to play against."
Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and an assist, and Artturi Lehkonen scored for the Avalanche, who bounced back from a 3-2 loss in Game 5 at home on Friday to win the Cup for the third time in their history (also 1996). Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves.
"Disbelief. It's crazy," MacKinnon said. "I can't wait to hug my family. Geez, it's hard to describe. I didn't really know what it would feel like to actually win it, but just seeing all these warriors battle, it just feels unbelievable. Words can't describe how I feel right now.
"Nothing but amazing. I have no complaints. Some tough years mixed in there, but it's all worth it now. We never stopped believing. The core guys that have been around, 10 years now, coming in at 18 like Gabe, and [Erik Johnson], to now, it's been amazing. It's so amazing to see guys like [Andrew Cogliano], Jack Johnson, all the veterans, [Josh] Manson, guys that haven't won it yet. It's so amazing."
Colorado closed out each of its four series on the road, where it went 9-1 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
"I just look at these guys and all the work these guys have put in," said Cale Makar, who won the Conn Smythe Trophy voted as most valuable player of the playoffs. "'E.J.', Nate, 'Landy,' Mikko [Rantanen], they've been here so many years, ups and downs. It's just so awesome to be part of them getting rewarded, all their hard work and their success over the years. Just so proud of the boys, honestly. It's just so awesome.
"You grow up, you see that thing as a kid and you have picture of it on your wall. All I think about is everybody that got me here. My family's in the stands, so it's amazing wherever they are. It's surreal."
Steven Stamkos scored, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 28 saves for the Lightning, who fell short in their bid to be the first team to win the Cup in three straight seasons since the New York Islanders won it in four straight from 1980-83.
"The playoff streak, that ended, but it's not the end of our run," Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said. "… Sometimes you don't really remember as much the teams that didn't win, but I think I'll remember this team the most. What these guys went through, the injuries, it was well documented the warriors they were. You should see what's going on [in the locker room]. I've never seen anything like this or been more proud of a team than this group. I will always remember them, and we didn't win. It's a tribute to them. It's crushing, though."
Stamkos gave Tampa Bay a 1-0 lead at 3:48 of the first period. Nikita Kucherov won a battle along the boards against MacKinnon below the goal line before knocking the puck away from Cale Makar. The loose puck then ricocheted off the skate of Lightning forward Ondrej Palat in the left circle directly to Stamkos, who swept a shot five-hole on Kuemper from in front.
MacKinnon tied it 1-1 at 1:54 of the second period. During a delayed penalty, Bowen Byram fed MacKinnon for a one-timer from the bottom of the left circle that went in short side off Vasilevskiy's blocker.
Lehkonen gave Colorado a 2-1 lead at 12:28 of the second. Skating in on a 3-on-2 rush, MacKinnon tried to send a return pass to Manson, but the puck deflected off the skate of Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh to Lehkonen, who quickly shot glove side from the left circle.
Colorado outshot Tampa Bay 9-4 in the third period.
"Every emotion you can possibly think of," Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said. "I'm just so happy and so proud of these guys and what they've put in. To see them get rewarded for all their hard work, it's hard to describe. There's a sense of relief, a sense of satisfaction. It's still sinking in. When the buzzer went, there was almost disbelief that we got the job done. It's been an amazing ride, and I'm just grateful to have been able to be a part of it with this team."