Carolina Hurricanes: 2026 Stanley Cup Champions

LAS VEGAS -- Twenty years later, the Carolina Hurricanes are Stanley Cup champions again.

Florida Panthers: 2025 Stanley Cup Champions

 

SUNRISE, Fla. -- The Florida Panthers are the top cats in the NHL again.

Sam Reinhart scored four goals, Sergei Bobrovsky made 28 saves, and the Panthers repeated as Stanley Cup champions by defeating the Edmonton Oilers 5-1 in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Tuesday.

“It’s amazing,” Bobrovsky said. “Obviously, it’s not easy to do and not many people can do that, but this group of guys is unbelievable. It’s a privilege to be their goalie.”

Reinhart’s four goals tied the record for most in a Stanley Cup Final game, and he became the second player in NHL history with four goals in a Stanley Cup-clinching win. He also had the first four-goal game and hat trick in the Stanley Cup Playoffs in Panthers history.

Reinhart scored the winning goal when Florida defeated Edmonton 2-1 in Game 7 of the Cup Final last season to capture its first championship.

“He scored a game-winner in Game 7 last year and he banged in four,” Panthers coach Paul Maurice said. “Nobody’s going to say whether there was a goalie in the net and nobody’s going to care. He just scored four goals. That was a pretty good story.”

Reinhart credited the Panthers' depth, though.

“That’s the beauty of it,” he said. “Everyone steps up at different times. That’s what makes it so special.”

Carter Verhaeghe had three assists, Aleksander Barkov had two assists, and Matthew Tkachuk also scored for Florida, which became the NHL’s first repeat champion since the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup in 2020 and 2021 and the first team to defeat the same opponent in the Cup Final in consecutive seasons since the Montreal Canadiens against the Boston Bruins in 1977 and 1978. Florida also reached the Cup Final in 2023, losing to the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.

“You look to all the bad days, long trips, all the stuff, this just makes it all worth it,” said Tkachuk, whose first period goal was the game-winner. “Lifting that Cup, it’s just insane. I don’t know what to tell you guys. It’s just the most special thing.”

Florida outlasted Edmonton in seven games in the Cup Final last season after letting a 3-0 series lead slip away. The Panthers avoided another Game 7 with a strong defensive effort against Connor McDavid and the Oilers’ high-powered offense. Vasily Podkolzin scored Edmonton’s lone goal, and Stuart Skinner made 20 saves.

“We lost to a really good team,” said McDavid, the Oilers captain. “Nobody quit, nobody threw the towel in, but they’re a heck of a team. They’re Stanley Cup champions back to back for a reason.”

Skinner was back in net for the Oilers after backing up Calvin Pickard in Game 5 on Saturday, a 5-2 loss. He was pulled in the previous two games. In Game 3, a 6-1 loss, Skinner was removed in the third period after giving up five goals on 23 shots. He was then replaced by Pickard to start the second period of Game 4, a 5-4 overtime win, after allowing three goals on 17 shots.

Sam Bennett won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. The forward led the NHL with 15 goals and had seven assists in 23 postseason games.

Bennett was one of six Florida players with at least 20 points this postseason. Reinhart (11 goals, 12 assists), Tkachuk (eight goals, 15 assists) and Verhaeghe (seven goals, 16 assists) led the way with 23 points each. Bennett and Barkov (six goals, 16 assists) each had 22 points, and Brad Marchand had 20 (10 goals, 10 assists).

“The depth of this team, it’s remarkable,” Bennett said. “The amount of guys that stepped up this year and had incredible years, incredible playoff runs, [the Conn Smythe] truly could’ve went to anyone.”

Oilers forward Leon Draisaitl said that depth was the biggest difference between the Panthers last season and this season, noting the contributions they got from their third line of Eetu Luostarinen (one goal, five assists), Anton Lundell (one goal, five assists) and Marchand (six goals), who each had six points in the Cup Final.

"I think they were better,” Draisaitl said. “Just deeper. Their third line scored how many goals? Until tonight, [when] it was their top two lines, their third line did a lot of damage."

McDavid finished the Cup Final with seven points (one goal, six assists) but had only two points (one goal, one assist) in the last four games, including one at even-strength, on a goal in Game 5. Like in Game 7 last season, he was held without a point on Tuesday.

Draisaitl led Edmonton with eight points (four goals, four assists) in the Cup Final but also was held without a point in Game 6.

The Panthers did not trail in the final two games of the series after blowing a 3-0 lead in Game 4.

“I thought we played pretty well the majority of the games and a couple of overtime games that went either way, but it just shows the character,” Bennett said. “Guys were willing to do whatever it takes to shut them down and some guys played some big minutes shutting down two of the best players in the world. That’s not an easy job by any means. So it really took everyone and everyone bought in.”

Reinhart gave Florida a 1-0 lead by scoring with a great individual effort 4:36 into the first period. After intercepting defenseman Evan Bouchard’s pass outside the Edmonton blue line, Reinhart chipped the puck past defenseman Mattias Ekholm in the left circle and cut to the slot before unleashing a shot while falling that went in past Skinner’s glove.

It was Reinhart’s fourth consecutive game with a goal and the fifth game in a row in which the Panthers scored first.

“I was just trying to take it to the net,” Reinhart said. “Got the puck in the right spot and as I was going down, I was able to elevate it.”

Tkachuk made it 2-0 with 47 seconds remaining in the first. The Panthers counterattacked after a Bouchard turnover at the offensive blue line, and Luostarinen pulled up at the top of the right circle before feeding the trailing Tkachuk, who let go a wrist shot from the high slot that went through Lundell’s screen in front and beat Skinner to the glove side.

Florida headed to the locker room for the first intermission leading 2-0 or 3-0 for the fourth consecutive game.

Bobrosky made 10 saves in the first period and 10 more in the second. His best in the first was a right-pad stop on Bouchard’s slap shot from the high slot at 10:12. In the second, he hugged the left post to stop a quick shot from Ryan Nugent-Hopkins on the left side at 9:26 to keep Florida ahead 2-0.

The Panthers increased their lead to 3-0 on Reinhart’s second of the game at 17:31 of the second. After Skinner left a rebound in the left circle on Verhaeghe’s initial shot, Barkov’s centering pass deflected in off Reinhart’s skate.

Reinhart made it 4-0 with an empty-net goal at 13:26 of the third period and scored another into an empty net for a 5-0 lead at 14:55.

Podkolzin broke up Bobrovsky’s shutout, making it 5-1 at 15:18. By then, however, the Panthers fans were already celebrating in anticipation of seeing their team win the Cup on home ice for the second straight season.

“It’s a special feeling,” said Barkov, the Panthers captain, “and we’re just really happy to do it.”

NOTES: Prior to Reinhart, the only other player with four goals in a Cup-clinching game was Babe Dye, who did it with the Toronto St. Patricks in Game 5 of the 1922 Final against the Vancouver Millionaires. The other players to score four in a Cup Final game are: Newsy Lalonde (Montreal Canadiens, Game 2 in 1919 against the Seattle Metropolitans); Frank Foyston (Metropolitans, Game 3 in 1919); Ted Lindsay (Detroit Red Wings, Game 2 in 1955 against the Canadiens); and Maurice Richard (Canadiens, Game 1 in 1957 against the Bruins).

Florida Panthers: 2024 Stanley Cup Champions

 

SUNRISE, Fla. -- Crisis averted. The Florida Panthers are Stanley Cup champions.

"So special," Panthers forward Matthew Tkachuk said. "I don't think we realize what we've just accomplished just yet. Every time I look at that trophy it'll get better and better."

Carter Verhaeghe had a goal and an assist, Sam Reinhart scored, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 23 saves for the Panthers, who defeated the Edmonton Oilers 2-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at Amerant Bank Arena on Monday.

The Panthers, who joined the NHL for the 1993-94 season, won their first Stanley Cup championship in their fourth chance to get it in this series. They lost the previous three games after taking a 3-0 lead and were in jeopardy of becoming the first team since 1942 to lose four straight potential clinching games in the Stanley Cup Final.

"To become a true champion you have to overcome adversity, and that was the moment you have to get together and get the job done," Bobrovsky said. "We weren't afraid to make a mistake. We played with freedom. We attacked."

Florida coach Paul Maurice finally won a Stanley Cup championship after coaching the most games in NHL history before his first title with 1,985 (1,848 in the regular season, 137 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs). He also improved to 5-0 in Game 7 for his NHL career.

Mattias Janmark scored, and Stuart Skinner made 19 saves for the Oilers. Connor McDavid, who led the NHL with 42 points (eight goals, 34 assists) in the playoffs, was held off the score sheet. So was Leon Draisaitl, who was limited to no goals and three assists in the Final.

McDavid still won the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player in the playoffs. He is the sixth player to win it while playing for the losing team and the first since goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere for the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim in 2003. Anaheim lost the Cup Final to the New Jersey Devils in seven games.

"It goes back the character of the group that we showed all year long," said McDavid, the Edmonton captain. "We showed all year long that we could fight back even in the most dire situations. It's obviously tough to be down three and it's tough to win four in a row against a team like that, but we were right there."

It was the first time since 1945 that a Stanley Cup Final went the distance after a team took a 3-0 lead. That season, the Detroit Red Wings won Games 4, 5 and 6 to tie the Final before losing 2-1 to the Toronto Maple Leafs in Game 7.

Edmonton was trying to become the first team since the 1941-42 Maple Leafs to pull off the reverse sweep, winning Games 4-7 after losing Games 1-3. It was also trying to become the first Canada-based team to win the Stanley Cup since the Montreal Canadiens in 1993.

But the Panthers responded after being outscored 18-5 in Games 4-6 to stop the Oilers from making history in Game 7.

"It's tough to put into words right now," Draisaitl said. "You’re one period, one shot away from maybe winning the thing and now you have to go through 82 regular-season games and play well enough to get another kick at it. It's hard right now."

Bobrovsky, who allowed 12 goals on 58 shots in the three previous games (5.06 goals-against average, .793 save percentage), made five saves in the first period, nine in the second and nine more in the third.

He said getting away from the rink Sunday and not skating in the Panthers' practice allowed him to reset and refocus for Game 7. 

"I was trying to cut off everything outside of myself, to just settle down, relax and focus on one shot at a time," Bobrovsky said. "I think it was a great moment that I didn't skate yesterday. The goalie coach came up with the idea to just have a rest, go away. I went home and played with my daughter. She's my motivation. She's my inspiration. Just relax, reset, come this morning for the morning skate ready to go."

The Panthers scored the first goal for the first time since Game 3. 

They never trailed. 

"They played with freedom and that's what I'm going to remember from this game," Maurice said. "The story gets written differently if we don't win, but under the most pressure they found the courage to play with some freedom, to make plays, to move the puck.

"They get to say, 'In Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final, I was at my best.'"

Verhaeghe gave the Panthers a 1-0 lead at 4:27 of the first period, six seconds after their first power play of the game expired. 

He played the puck from behind the net to Evan Rodrigues along the left wall, and Rodrigues whipped a shot from there to the net. It looked like it was going wide right, but Verhaeghe got his stick on it in front, deflecting it down and through Skinner's legs.

It was Verhaeghe's first goal since Game 1 and the first time the Panthers led since Game 3.

"The last couple games they scored so many goals off the hop, and to play with the lead, it felt good," Verhaeghe said.

The Oilers got the goal back quickly with Janmark scoring on a breakaway to make it 1-1 at 6:44.

"I thought they were the better team in the first period," Edmonton coach Kris Knoblauch said. "I thought they came out with a little more urgency and won a lot of puck races. I thought we defended well. I thought in the second and the third period, I thought we found our game, I thought we played well, but couldn't capitalize on our opportunities." 

Instead, it was Reinhart giving Florida a 2-1 lead at 15:11 of the second period, scoring with a low, short-side shot from inside the right face-off circle.

Florida defenseman Dmitry Kulikov cleared the puck away from the Panthers crease before he fell into the net. The puck went to Verhaeghe, who moved it up to Reinhart. 

Reinhart was looking for a pass as he went through the neutral zone and across the blue line, but eventually chose to shoot, and the puck squeezed through Skinner to give Florida its second lead of the game.

"You're hoping that's it, right?" Reinhart said. "I mean, there was a lot of work to do, a lot of game left, but absolutely I'm hoping that's the one."

Bobrovsky said from there he treated the rest of the game like it was overtime.

"I wasn't happy when they scored [on] a breakaway because we had a good lead," he said, "but Sam scores the second goal and I was thinking it's better to not let that go."

McDavid and Zach Hyman each had a look at what was an open net for the Oilers with just over seven minutes left in the third period, but neither could get enough of the puck. 

Sam Bennett and Brandon Montour dove into the crease to help Bobrovsky keep the puck out of the net on Hyman's attempt, preserving Florida's lead at 12:56.

Skinner went to the bench for the extra skater with 1:10 left, but the Oilers couldn't get another shot attempt.

"We really believed we were going to get one," McDavid said. "I have that one in front, Zach has a whack at it, 'Bouch' (Evan Bouchard) has got all kinds of looks. We had a lot of looks, it just didn’t go." 

The Panthers froze the puck in the corner for the last six seconds to win the Stanley Cup.

"The last three games before you're hoping," Reinhart said. "You're hoping you're in it and you have a chance at the end. That's a dangerous spot to be in against a team like that and it showed. That hope went away tonight, and we were able to find our game. It showed."

Vegas Golden Knights: 2022-23 Stanley Cup Champions

LAS VEGAS -- Vegas, baby, Vegas.

The Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup for the first time in their six seasons, defeating the Florida Panthers 9-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on Tuesday.

Mark Stone scored a hat trick, Jack Eichel and Shea Theodore each had three assists, and Reilly Smith had a goal and an assist for Vegas. Adin Hill made 31 saves. 

The Golden Knights had seven goal-scorers and 15 players with at least one point.

Sam Reinhart and Sam Bennett each had a goal and an assist, and Sergei Bobrovsky made 22 saves for the Panthers.

Florida played without forward Matthew Tkachuk, its leading scorer in the Stanley Cup Playoffs (24 points; 11 goals, 13 assists), who sustained an injury in Game 3 but played through it in Game 4. The Panthers did not disclose the nature of Tkachuk's injury before Game 5, but it is believed to be to his upper body.

Stone got the Golden Knights started by making it 1-0 with a short-handed goal off a 2-on-1 at 11:52 of the first period. He kept the puck on the rush and waited out Bobrovsky before shooting high to the glove side from in close.

Hill gave the Golden Knights a chance to score first with a left-pad save on Anton Lundell, who was in alone on him, at 2:24, and a save on Aleksander Barkov with his left skate 18 seconds before Stone's goal.

Nicolas Hague gave Vegas a 2-0 lead at 13:41. He came in from the blue line, got to a loose puck in front of Bobrovsky and put it in.

Jonathan Marchessault had an assist on Hague's goal to extend his Golden Knights playoff-record point streak to 10 games (15 points; eight goals, seven assists). He finished as the leading scorer in the playoffs with 25 points (13 goals, 12 assists) in 22 games.

Aaron Ekblad cut it to 2-1 at 2:15 of the second period with a shot through traffic from the right point that beat Hill over his left shoulder.

The Golden Knights scored four goals in the last 9:32 of the second period to put the game out of reach.

Alec Martinez scored from the right face-off circle off a drop pass from Eichel to make it 3-1 at 10:28.

Smith scored 1:45 later to make it 4-1 at 12:13, beating Bobrovsky from the right side after William Karlsson set him up with a no-look, backhanded, between-the-legs pass in the slot. 

Stone's second of the game made it 5-1 at 17:15. Chandler Stephenson brought the puck into the zone on the right side and dropped it to Brett Howden, who moved it across to Stone in the left circle. His shot got through Bobrovsky.

Michael Amadio made it 6-1 at 19:58 by scoring from the slot on his own rebound.

Ivan Barbashev extended the lead to 7-1 at 8:22 of the third period. Reinhart cut it to 7-2 25 seconds later at 8:47, and Bennett made it 7-3 at 11:39 with a shot off Alex Pietrangelo's stick.

Stone finished his hat trick with an unassisted, length-of-the-ice empty-net goal to make it 8-3 at 14:06.

Nicolas Roy capped it at 18:58 for the 9-3 final.

Colorado Avalanche: 2021-22 Stanley Cup Champions

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."

Tampa Bay Lightning: 2020 Stanley Cup Champions

After last season's shocking first round sweep and playoff exit, Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Julien BriseBois knew some changes had to made in order to have a better result the next time his team qualified for the postseason.

BriseBois didn't want to blow up the core of the team that had been in place for a number of seasons. And changes to the coaching staff didn't make sense either.

Instead, BriseBois identified three areas his team would have to get better in order to achieve their ultimate goal of lifting the Stanley Cup.

The Lightning needed to reduce the number of quality chances against. That meant, protecting the slot more robustly and reducing the number of minor penalties the team took.

They needed to battle harder and be more physical, whether by having more of a net-front presence or winning more puck battles.

And, finally, they needed to manage the game better.

"And we did that," BriseBois said. "And because we did, we were a better team."

The Lightning made additions during the offseason to achieve their goals. They brought in Curtis McElhinney to be the backup goaltender even though they had a backup goalie on the roster in Louis Domingue because McElhinney gave them cost certainty at the position for two seasons with a salary cap crunch looming. They added Luke Schenn and Kevin Shattenkirk to their blueline. Schenn provided a veteran, physical presence that proved particularly effective in playoff series against Boston and the New York Islanders. Shattenkirk fell into the Lightning's lap after his contract was bought out by the New York Rangers. He partnered well with Mikhail Sergachev and aided in the youngster's development as a standout on the blueline. He also gave the Lightning some scoring punch and was invaluable in the locker room.

And at forward, the Lightning brought in Pat Maroon, who won a Stanley Cup the previous season with his hometown St. Louis Blues and knew what it took to manage the ups and downs of an extended playoff run.

"Both Kevin and Pat Maroon we signed with them bringing some leadership to our group in mind," BriseBois said. "They still both managed to exceed my expectations in terms of how much they brought to our locker room, how much they brought to our team both on and off the ice. Not that my expectations were low, they still found a way to manage to exceed my expectations. They were key contributors to our team, and they may have been exactly what we needed. It's nice when things work out."

The 2019-20 regular season certainly didn't go off without a hitch. The Lightning slogged their way through the first two months of the season. By mid-December, they were well out of a playoff spot and sixth in the Atlantic Division behind teams like Florida, Montreal and Buffalo.

But from December 23 through February 17, when the team capped a franchise record 11-game win streak with a 4-3 overtime victory in Colorado, the Lightning went 23-2-1, moved to within a point of the Boston Bruins for first place overall in the NHL and firmly established themselves as a playoff team and a top contender for the Stanley Cup.

More than that, however, the aspects of their game BriseBois laid out at the beginning of the season the Lightning would need to be successful come playoff time came to fruition. Over a stretch from the beginning of the 2020 calendar year to that win in Denver, the Lightning didn't allow more than three goals in a single contest and became one of the League's best teams defensively and in managing the puck, their 1.77 goals against average over that stretch tops in the League.

"All in all, we had a good team, and the numbers kind of support that," BriseBois said.

At the trade deadline, BriseBois had an opportunity to upgrade his already dangerous team. He identified a need for a couple of forwards that could fit into their top nine. And he needed another right-shot defenseman, especially with long-term injuries to Jan Rutta and Ryan McDonagh.

"I thought we could really benefit from adding two forwards that were going to be hard to play against, bring some size, bring some snarl, some sandpaper," BriseBois said. "And we were really good defensively. We're trying to improve our team defensively at that point and be harder to play against."

The Lightning traded for Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow to augment the forward group. The price to acquire them was steep - collectively, the Lightning gave up two first round draft picks in 2020 and prized prospect Nolan Foote - but BriseBois said he couldn't pass up the opportunity to add two players who could step into the lineup immediately and make an impact at the expense of future assets that might or might not pan out on the NHL level.

"My mindset at that point was to be very aggressive in the pursuit of the pieces that I believed could give us a strong push forward," BriseBois said. "It wasn't just about adding depth to our team, it was about making our team better, all the while keeping an eye on next season and trying to make sure that we remain a competitive team year in and year out. We were also looking at players that we could potentially add to our group that had good contracts going forward and that made adding Blake Coleman and Barclay Goodrow all the more attractive to us."

And with Bogosian, the Lightning were looking to bring in a right-shot defenseman anyway, and when the veteran defenseman in his 12th season in the league became available after having his contract terminated by Buffalo, he became the best option.

Plus, as a free agent, he didn't require the forfeiture of any assets to get him, and the Lightning had enough room under the cap to sign him.

"Picking up Zach Bogosian certainly ended up being a key decision I think in our success because he was an important player for us on the ice," BriseBois said.

Once the new additions joined the team, the Lightning's play dipped a bit as they worked to integrate the pieces into their puzzle. But that's where the four-month pause might have benefited the Lightning more than any other team because they were able to assimilate the new players into the group during the down time and then they were basically able to have a training camp with the team during the two-week camp before the team left for the bubble in Toronto.

"I have to give credit to our players, their commitment to winning this season, it never waned," BriseBois said. "I was continually in touch with them (during the pause). They were continuously in touch with our director of sport performance Mark Lambert, and they stayed on top of their conditioning. They also did a great job staying at home and eliminating their risk of getting the COVID virus."

Once in the playoffs, the Lightning quickly established themselves as the tournament's most dominant team. The five overtime win in Game 1 of the First Round versus Columbus was a breakthrough for the team, giving them confidence after what happened against the same team the year prior. And then the Bolts got better and better as the playoffs moved along, overcoming injuries and bad bounces to lift the Cup at the end following a six-game series against the Dallas Stars in the Cup Final, the culmination of over two months inside the bubble in what could arguably be considered the most difficult Stanley Cup Playoffs ever contested.

"I am in awe of what our guys accomplished. I am in awe of how deep they had to dig physically and mentally in order for us to fly back to Tampa with the Cup," BriseBois said. "It was, being able to witness it up close, it was awesome, it was awe-inspiring, it was just so incredible what they did. I'm going to get my name engraved on the Stanley Cup and I was honored to be nominated for GM of the year, but that has a lot more to do with the work of our players, the work and the sacrifices of our players and our staff and our coaches then it does with me. I am truly appreciative and grateful for everything that they've done. It is not lost on me that I am the beneficiary of all their hard work and sacrifices. And now as (Lightning head coach Jon Cooper) says, we get to walk together forever as the 2020 Stanley Cup champions."

Now that the season is over, the reality is the team the Lightning put on the ice in Game 6 against Dallas will be different from the one that begins the 2020-21 regular season, whenever that is. A flat salary cap and a number of players either beginning new contracts next season or coming off entry-level contracts and due a raise means that some key members of the team's core will probably have to move on this offseason.

"Even though I would like to bring this whole group back together so we could try to defend our championship and that would be my preference if I got to choose what I would want to do is bring everyone back as is and we try to defend our title, the reality is I can't do that," BriseBois said. "The cap just doesn't allow that to happen. It never does for any team. There's always some turnover, and this year the turnover is going to require that some of our players that have been here for a while and just helped us win a championship aren't going to be returning."

BriseBois said signing Mikhail Sergachev, Anthony Cirelli and Erik Cernak to new contracts is a priority. All three of those players are coming off their entry-level deals.

"(They) haven't really entered their prime yet, and they're going to allow us to continue to be a good team going forward for many years," BriseBois said.

BriseBois said he doesn't expect to have to buy out anyone's contract. And he has an ongoing dialogue with players to keep them in the loop about what or when decisions will be made.

"I think it's important for everyone to get a chance to properly celebrate this championship as a team with their teammates," BriseBois said. "I wish I didn't have to have the types of conversations I'm going to have to have as soon as I will. But it's just the reality of our business. Ultimately, it's in their best interest too. The sooner they know, the better for them as well."

As for Steven Stamkos, the Lightning captain played just one game in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, that coming in Game 3 of the Cup Final when he scored a goal on his third shift of the game and first shot but wasn't able to continue after 2:47 of ice time, forever immortalizing himself in Cup lore for his effort in an abbreviated appearance.

BriseBois said Stamkos had sports hernia surgery on March 2 and was progressing well through Phase 2 of the team's return to play but suffered a new injury where his body was overcompensating for the sports hernia, which is why he wasn't able to play until so late in the playoffs and then for only such a short amount of time.

But BriseBois reiterated Stamkos is not expected to miss the start of next season's training camp and should be fully recovered once that starts.

"The whole pandemic certainly didn't help his cause because it was hard to, you couldn't send him anywhere to go see specialists," BriseBois said. "If he goes out of the bubble, now he's got to quarantine again. What's the trade off? He wants to be around the team. We want him around the team. It certainly complicated matters, and I will know more next week (when Stamkos sees a specialist)…But we're talking about weeks of rehab and not months of rehab, and we fully expect him to be ready for the start of training camp whenever that will be."

St. Louis Blues: 2018-19 Stanley Cup Champions

BOSTON -- The St. Louis Blues are Stanley Cup champions for the first time.

St. Louis defeated the Boston Bruins 4-1 in Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Final at TD Garden on Wednesday.

"It doesn't feel real," Blues center Brayden Schenn said. "It's absolutely incredible. I can't even explain. It feels like a video game we're in. It's what you dream of as a kid, posing with the Stanley Cup, getting to lift it. It's a special group. We're going to party hard."

Jordan Binnington made 32 saves; Alex Pietrangelo and Ryan O'Reilly each had a goal and an assist; and Schenn and Zach Sanford scored for St. Louis, which entered the NHL in 1967-68 and had never won a Cup Final game in three prior appearances (1968-70).

O'Reilly won the Conn Smythe Trophy, voted the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

"Most of these guys on [the trophy] I pretended I was as a kid, and now to be on here with them, it's an incredible feeling," O'Reilly said. "I can't believe that we hung on and got this done."

Tuukka Rask made 16 saves, and Matt Grzelcyk scored for Boston, which won Game 6 of the best-of-7 series 5-1 on Sunday.

"It's an empty feeling," Bruins coach Bruce Cassidy said. "It's a long year. Someone had to win and someone had to lose and we came out on the wrong side of it. It's not the way you picture it. It's as simple as that."

The Blues were last in the NHL on Jan. 3. They are the first team to win the Stanley Cup after being last in the standings at least 30 games into a season.

St. Louis defeated the Winnipeg Jets in six games in the Western Conference First Round, the Dallas Stars in seven games in the second round, and the San Jose Sharks in six games in the conference final.

"It had to be this way, man," Binnington said. "It was an incredible year and I can't believe where we're at. It's awesome."

Rask allowed more than three goals in a game for the first time since Game 4 of the Eastern Conference First Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs on April 17, ending a streak of 19 games allowing three or fewer. He allowed two goals on four shots in the first period.

"It was a nightmare for me, obviously," Rask said. "Barely didn't make a save in the first. And you know we tried to create, we had good chances, and [Binnington] made the saves when they needed."

O'Reilly gave the Blues a 1-0 lead at 16:47 of the first period, scoring from between the hash marks on a deflection of Jay Bouwmeester's shot from the point. He became the first player to score in four straight Cup Final games since Wayne Gretzky did so with the Edmonton Oilers in 1985.

O'Reilly was the leading scorer of the Cup Final with nine points (five goals, four assists) and finished tied for the most points in the playoffs with 23 (eight goals, 15 points) with Bruins forward Brad Marchand (nine goals, 14 assists).

"Put the team on his back," Schenn said of O'Reilly. "He obviously believed we could do it. We all believed we could do it. He led the way."

Pietrangelo made it 2-0 with eight seconds left in the first. He scored on a forehand-backhand deke with a shot over Rask's blocker from the slot.

The Bruins outshot the Blues 12-4 in the first period and 23-10 through two periods but did not score.

Binnington, who played one NHL game three seasons ago prior to Dec. 16, became the first rookie goalie to win 16 games in a single NHL postseason.

"He was outstanding tonight," Blues coach Craig Berube said. "I thought it was his best game of the series."

Schenn made it 3-0 at 11:25 of the third period, scoring on a one-timer off a pass from Vladimir Tarasenko. Sanford extended the lead to 4-0 at 15:22.

Grzelcyk ended Binnington's shutout with 2:10 remaining to make it 4-1.

"We did it, we did it," Blues forward Pat Maroon said. "I mean, there's nothing else. We put everything on the line from Jan. 3 on and we deserve this. What a way to finish it."

They said it
"We knew it was there, we knew we had the pieces, but it was so educational for myself to see how tough it is and how hard you have to work and how even-keel you have to be to keep coming every day and just keep punching at it. It was always there that we can do it, but to actually do it, it's exhausting. I'm exhausted." -- Blues forward Ryan O'Reilly

"We thought we were going to do it. We had that belief we have all year. We've done it plenty of times. It takes one goal to get going and swing that momentum, and we just didn't get that one early enough. We thought that we'd be able to come back, but obviously we didn't." -- Bruins forward Brad Marchand


Need to know
The road team won five games in the Cup Final for the fourth time (1945, Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings; 1966, Montreal Canadiens and Red Wings; 2000, New Jersey Devils and Dallas Stars). ... The Blues finished 10-3 on the road in the playoffs, including 3-1 in the Cup Final. They are the seventh team in NHL history, first since 2000, to win three road games in the Cup Final (1921 Ottawa Senators, 1928 New York Rangers, 1945 Maple Leafs, 1966 Canadiens, 1990 Edmonton Oilers, 2000 Devils). All seven won the Stanley Cup. ... St. Louis tied the record for most road wins in a single postseason (1995 Devils, 2000 Devils, 2004 Calgary Flames, 2012 Los Angeles Kings, 2018 Washington Capitals). ... The Blues are the fourth team in the NHL modern era (since 1943-44), first in 30 years, to win the Cup without a previous Cup winner on the roster (1974 Philadelphia Flyers, 1980 New York Islanders, 1989 Flames). ... St. Louis was swept in the Cup Final by the Montreal Canadiens twice and the Bruins. ... Boston has lost the Cup Final 14 times, most of any team.


What's next
Season complete

Washington Capitals: 2017-18 Stanley Cup Champions

LAS VEGAS -- Alex Ovechkin and the Washington Capitals put years of heartbreak behind them by winning the Stanley Cup for the first time, defeating the Vegas Golden Knights 4-3 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday.

"It's just like a dream," Ovechkin said.

Lars Eller scored the Cup-winning goal at 12:23 of the third period after Devante Smith-Pelly tied it 3-3 at 9:52.

Ovechkin, who is the first Russia-born captain to win the Stanley Cup, and Jakub Vrana scored, and Braden Holtby made 28 saves for the Capitals, who reached the Cup Final once previously, in 1998, when they were swept by the Detroit Red Wings.

This was their 43rd season. It was Ovechkin's 13th season and Washington's 10th appearance in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since 2008.

"Years of heartbreak, years of breaking things down and trying again, breaking things down and trying again," Holtby said. "This group never gave up, and we finally did it."

Ovechkin won the Conn Smythe Trophy as MVP of the playoffs. He led the League with 15 goals, setting a Capitals record for a single postseason.

The Capitals tied an NHL record for most road wins in a postseason (10). They ended each series on the road, all on their first try.

Fittingly, they also won in come-from-behind fashion, just as they had to do in all four rounds.

The Capitals lost Game 1 of three of their four series and trailed 3-2 in the Eastern Conference Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning before winning Games 6 and 7 by a combined 7-0.

They rallied from down 2-1 and 3-2 in Game 5 to finish the job.

"We never make it easy, do we?" defenseman Matt Niskanen said. "But, man, what a group of guys and what a performance from a lot of individuals. We played together, showed a lot of character. That's something we got criticized for in the past. Boy, we showed a ton of it this spring."

The Golden Knights' historic inaugural season ended with their first four-game losing streak.

"I think people would have said we would have won 20 games this year, so to find ourselves playing for a Stanley Cup, it's pretty special, but just a little bit short," Vegas forward James Neal said. "But proud of the guys."

Nate Schmidt, David Perron and Reilly Smith scored, and Marc-Andre Fleury made 29 saves for Vegas, which lost three games in the first three rounds.

"We worked hard tonight, we competed hard, just couldn't beat that team," coach Gerard Gallant said. "They deserved the Stanley Cup."

The Smith-Pelly and Eller goals each came off a Golden Knights turnover in their own zone.

"We left our goalie out to dry," Vegas defenseman Deryk Engelland said.

Smith-Pelly scored while falling into the right face-off circle after kicking the puck to his stick.

It was his third goal in as many games and his seventh in 24 NHL playoff games. He scored seven goals in 75 regular-season games.

Eller scored the winner from the slot, shoveling the puck into the net after it got behind Fleury, who made the initial save on Brett Connolly's shot.

"[Fleury] was so far out I couldn't get in front of him, which is usually where the rebound comes," Eller said. "So I got behind him and the puck just squeaks through. Usually, Connolly shoots between the legs, and it was just at the right place at the right moment."

Vegas scored twice in the final 7:04 of the second period to take a 3-2 lead.

Perron tied it 2-2 at 12:56 after he was pushed into the net by Washington defenseman Christian Djoos. The Capitals challenged for goalie interference, but the goal was upheld after video review when it was ruled that Djoos caused Perron to contact Holtby before the puck crossed the goal line.

Smith gave Vegas a 3-2 lead with a power-play goal at 19:31.

Washington took a 1-0 lead on Vrana's breakaway goal at 6:24 of the second. The Golden Knights tied it 1-1 at 9:40 when Schmidt's shot deflected in off Niskanen's right skate.

Ovechkin gave the Capitals a 2-1 lead with a power-play goal at 10:14.

"I can't explain what I feel," Ovechkin said. "It's unbelievable."


"It was like we were a bunch of 10-year-olds that just won their first hockey tournament. It was like we were a bunch of little kids again. Amazing. Amazing." -- Capitals defenseman Matt Niskanen


"You don't want to finish on a note like that, necessarily. But one thing I know: We'll be back." -- Golden Knights forward Jonathan Marchessault



"I just knew once we got the lead this group was not letting go. This group got angry and mean, and they said, 'It ain't happening.'" -- Capitals coach Barry Trotz


John Carlson had an assist on Ovechkin's goal, giving him 55 points (18 goals, 37 assists) in the NHL playoffs, the most by a Capitals defenseman. … Eller is the first Denmark-born player to win the Stanley Cup. … Washington center Evgeny Kuznetsov led the NHL with 32 points (12 goals, 20 assists) in the playoffs. He is the third Russia-born player to do so since 1943-44. (Sergei Fedorov, Red Wings, 1995; Evgeni Malkin, Pittsburgh Penguins, 2009 and 2017). … Ovechkin passed John Druce for most goals for the Capitals in a single postseason. Druce had 14 in 15 games in 1990. Ovechkin's previous high was 11 in 14 games in 2009.

Pittsburgh Penguins: 2017 Stanley Cup Champions

NASHVILLE -- The Pittsburgh Penguins clinched back-to-back Stanley Cup championships with a 2-0 win against the Nashville Predators in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final at Bridgestone Arena on Sunday.

Pittsburgh is the first team to repeat since the Detroit Red Wings in 1997 and 1998. It is the fifth Stanley Cup title for the Penguins, and they have clinched every championship series on the road.

Patric Hornqvist scored with 1:35 remaining in the third period to give the Penguins a 1-0 lead. Justin Schultz took the original shot from the point, and Hornqvist banked the puck off of the back of Pekka Rinne for his fifth goal.

Carl Hagelin scored an empty-net goal with 13.6 seconds remaining to give the Penguins a 2-0 lead.

Penguins goaltender Matt Murray made 27 saves for his second consecutive shutout.

Colton Sissons appeared to give the Predators a 1-0 lead at 1:07 of the second period, but the goal was disallowed because a whistle was blown.The Predators had a 5-on-3 power play for 32 seconds in the third period but were unable to score.

Ryan Ellis played on a defense pair with Roman Josi. He left Game 5 because of an undisclosed injury and did not participate in the optional morning skate Sunday.

Penguins forward Nick Bonino missed his fourth consecutive game because of a lower-body injury.

Pittsburgh Penguins: 2016 Stanley Cup Champions

Who needs a goal on the statistical ledger when you win a Stanley Cup?

There’s another addition to Sidney Crosby’s championship legacy in the form of the Pittsburgh Penguins' fourth Stanley Cup title.

The Elias Sports Bureau’s research shows that Crosby is the third skater to win the Conn Smythe despite not scoring a goal in the Stanley Cup finals -- joining Scott Niedermayer of the Ducks in 2007 and Jonathan Toews with the Blackhawks in 2010. All three were captains of their respective teams.

Crosby has two titles, the same number as Penguins owner Mario Lemieux. He has won five championships overall, including two Olympic gold medals and the 2015 world championship. He also has the same number of professional titles as LeBron James.

The history

This is the Penguins' first title since 2009 (which they also won on June 12). All four have been won on the road. The Penguins’ four titles are tied with the Red Wings for the most since 1991, the year of the Penguins' first championship. The Penguins are 4-0 in games in which they had a chance to clinch the Cup on the road.

Among teams to debut since the NHL’s first expansion in 1967-68, the only team with more Stanley Cup titles is the Oilers with five, all between 1984 and 1990.

The goalie

Penguins goalie Matt Murray went 6-0 immediately after a loss this postseason. Elias Sports Bureau research shows that his 15 wins match the most by a rookie goalie in a single postseason and that he’s the seventh rookie goalie to win all four games during the Stanley Cup finals, the first since Cam Ward in 2006.

The best support

Crosby won the Conn Smythe, but Phil Kessel was also one of the Penguins' top players. Kessel was traded from the Maple Leafs in a six-player deal after being much maligned in Toronto.

His sister, Amanda, was not going to play her senior season at Minnesota after suffering a concussion. But things changed for the family. Amanda returned in February and scored the game-winning goal in the national championship at the Frozen Four. She won three national titles at Minnesota.

Kessel’s season turned on March 13 when he joined a line with Carl Hagelin and Nick Bonino. He led the Penguins with 10 goals and 22 points in 24 postseason games.

To top it off, on May 1, Amanda signed a one-year deal with the New York Riveters of the NWHL (National Women’s Hockey League) worth $26,000, making her the top-paid player in the league.

How they won

The story of the series was how the Penguins limited the Sharks' opportunities. The Sharks had 67 shot attempts in Game 6 and the Penguins blocked 33 of them. The Penguins blocked 136 shots in the series, an average of 23 per game.

Chicago Blackhawks: 2015 Stanley Cup Champions

CHICAGO -- There was a moment in the pause before the Stanley Cup arrived on the ice when Chicago Blackhawks captain Jonathan Toews skated away from his teammates, looked up to the roaring, raucous crowd, and started applauding.

Cameras followed him, showing him on the scoreboard.

"Unbelievable," Toews said with his arms raised, hands clapping. "Unbelievable."

The 22,424 standing, hugging, cheering, selfie-taking, red-clad and relieved fans applauded back at their captain, loudly. Toews smiled and pumped his fists.

"I was just trying to absorb every moment, and I'm still trying to do it," Toews said on the ice, long after NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman handed him the Stanley Cup for the third time in six seasons. "It doesn't feel real. Even in the dying minutes, I can't really remember anything that happened to be honest with you. It was a dream, start to finish.

 "This is pretty awesome."

There is no better way to describe the scene that unfolded inside United Center on Monday. Chicago's 2-0 win against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 gave way to the first on-ice Stanley Cup celebration in Chicago since 1938.

The Blackhawks won the Cup in Philadelphia in 2010, and in Boston in 2013. Those were great, special, and meant everything to this team and its players. They were topped by the memories created inside the building appropriately called the Madhouse on Madison.

"There's nothing like it," Blackhawks president and Chicago native John McDonough said. "Being from here, hailing from the city of Chicago, not the suburbs, and going with the ebb and flow of sports teams my entire life; I was around for the Bulls run and I never thought I'd see anything like that ever again. Maybe you never will. I mean, six championships in eight years, that's amazing. But we're really fortunate. This fan base gave us a chance. They came back and we're thrilled that we're able to reward them."

The Blackhawks had a 1-0 lead on Conn Smythe Trophy winner Duncan Keith's goal at 17:13 of the second period. But the crowd was still tense as the third period started to unfold, even though the Blackhawks simply don't lose when they enter the third period with a lead.

They were 25-0 in those situations during the regular season. They were 8-0 in the Stanley Cup Playoffs.

It was obvious in the first few minutes that they weren't going to lose this one.

Chicago started to execute what essentially was a perfect game plan. Every time the Lightning got the puck into the offensive zone, the Blackhawks knocked it right back out. The tension in the building slowly began to fade.

With 9:34 remaining and a whistle for a hand pass that led to a television timeout, it finally cracked. The fans stood, just about every single one of them, and started cheering during the timeout.

Play resumed, and less than a minute passed before the "Let's go Hawks" chant started to reverberate through the arena with 8:47 remaining. They were excited, eager, but patient. Remember, it was still just a one-goal lead.

Then it happened.

Brandon Saad broke out of the defensive zone and down the left wing. The crowd surged. Saad put a drop pass onto Brad Richards' stick. The crowd sensed what was coming.

Richards froze goalie Ben Bishop with a shot-fake that led to a perfect pass to Patrick Kane. The crowd rose.

Kane slammed home a one-timer, the D.J. cued up "Chelsea Dagger," and at 14:46 of the third period there was bedlam in the building and presumably around all the bars and restaurants and homes and office buildings in the city of Chicago.

"At the 10-minute mark the crowd sensed the Hawks were going to win this, and you just had a feeling somehow the Hawks were going to score that second goal," Blackhawks chairman Rocky Wirtz said. "And if you could have a storybook ending, it was Patrick, the guy who could do it."

It appeared that nobody who entered the building with a coveted and expensive ticket Monday night sat down for the final 5:14.

There was no more tension, not with a two-goal lead. There was only a celebration with chants of "We want the Cup," and "Corey, Corey, Corey" after goalie Corey Crawford made back-to-back saves on Ondrej Palat's two chances in the slot at 16:37.

They sang along, "You gotta fight, for your right, to party" as the D.J. played the Beastie Boys' classic. The shots were 32-19 in favor of the Blackhawks at this time. The score was 2-0. Masterful.

"Everybody was standing up," forward Marian Hossa said. "What a moment."

They were hugging each other, holding each other arm in arm.

Finally, once the clock bled down to 10 seconds, the countdown was on. Nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one …"Chelsea Dagger" again. Bedlam. Insanity.

Fans sitting in the last row below the press box were high-fiving former Blackhawks forward and current radio color commentator Troy Murray. They were standing on seats. They were taking pictures of the ice, of themselves, of the crowd, the scoreboard, of anything.

They went bonkers when Keith was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy. They sang along to "Sweet Home Chicago" as they watched the Blackhawks and Lightning go through the traditional handshake line.

That the Stanley Cup's arrival was delayed by the flooded streets of Chicago, a result of a massive storm that blew through the city prior to the game, mattered very little.

The party was on.

"I don't think there's going to be much sleeping tonight," Kane said.

In the middle of the sea of people on the ice, players with family members, credentialed media with cameras and microphones and recorders and notebooks, Blackhawks general manager Stan Bowman found Saad, the best of Chicago's second-generation core, and embraced him.

Saad, remember, can become a restricted free agent on July 1. He could well be targeted with an offer sheet by one of 29 other teams.

"I gave a hug and I said, 'This is the [second] of many, we're going to win a lot together,'" Bowman said. "He gave me a big hug and said, 'Let's go.'

"I don't think he would want to leave after this scene here."

Nobody did. Nobody wanted to miss a moment.

"Incredible," Toews said. "Incredible."

Chicago Blackhawks: 2013 Stanley Cup Champions

BOSTON — Down 2-1 with Game 7 staring them in the face, the Blackhawks pulled Corey Crawford — the only reason they were even in the game to that point — and hoped for a miracle.

They got two. And they got the Stanley Cup.

Bryan Bickell and Dave Bolland scored 17 seconds apart in the final 1:16 of the third period to give the Blackhawks an epic conclusion to an epic series, and their second championship in four seasons.

Milan Lucic had scored with 7:49 left to break a 1-1 tie. But Bickell — a surprise playoff hero — smacked home a Jonathan Toews pass in the slot to tie it with 1:16 left. And with the Bruins still stunned by that goal, Dave Bolland jammed home a rebound of a Johnny Oduya shot off the post, triggering a wild celebration in the corner that paled in comparison to the wild celebrating that ensued 58.3 seconds later.

It was seven short years to the day that Toews was drafted by the Hawks, a moribund franchise with second-class status in a city that’s seen too much losing in its time, with a smattering of fans and yellowing banners in the rafters. Six years and two days to the drafting of Patrick Kane, who earned this season’s Conn Smythe Trophy.

They were champions in 2010. They’re Chicago icons now, for all time, sure to be bronzed and busted and forever remembered, living history. Along with Duncan Keith and Brent Seabrook and Patrick Sharp and Niklas Hjalmarsson and Dave Bolland, the core and the heart of a franchise reborn, they’re two-time champions — with so many years still ahead of them. Toews is merely 25. Kane is 24.

And there were new heroes, too. Crawford, who had the unenviable task of replacing a Cup-winning goalie in Antti Niemi — Hawks general manager Stan Bowman let Niemi leave because he believed in the longtime minor-league goalie — was a playoff question mark answered with an exclamation point.

Andrew Shaw’s cheek was the 2013 version of Duncan Keith’s teeth — the energetic third-line center getting knocked out cold by a Shawn Thornton shot to the face, leaving blood on the ice, only to come back in the next period and almost immediately pick a fight in the corner.

And Michael Frolik and Marcus Kruger, reinvented as penalty-killing machines, staved off four straight Boston power plays to open the game, keeping the game within reach when it so easily could have spiraled out of control.

And it was quite a storm the Hawks had to weather first. The Bruins came out with energy and desperation, dominating the Hawks and dictating play. Boston took 1-0 lead when Chris Kelly won a faceoff against Dave Bolland, then took a nice backhanded cross-crease feed from Tyler Seguin for a goal. That line of Kelly, Seguin and Daniel Paille had a tremendous stretch with several good scoring chances on the previous shift, and with the benefit of a TV timeout, Bruins coach Claude Julien left them out there to finish the job.

Then came the carnage. Boston’s Jaromir Jagr left bloodied and only returned for one second-period shift. Crawford took a Torey Krug shot off the mask and was slow to get up. Shaw was knocked limp by Thornton’s shot, eventually trudging off the ice to a chorus of boos. And Niklas Hjalmarsson skated off to the dressing room in the final minute.

By the end of the first period, the Bruins had a 32-8 edge in shots attempted and had controlled every aspect of the game — except the scoreboard. In a role reversal from Game 2, the Hawks were fortunate to be down 1-0 after being so thoroughly dominated. And just like Boston in Game 2, they made the most of their good fortune.

Stunningly, Shaw came out to start the second period. Hjalmarsson did, too. And finally, the rest of the Hawks showed up, as well.

Toews — who sat out the third period of Game 5 after taking a crushing hit by Johnny Boychuk — tied the game at 1-1 at 4:24 of the second period, just as Shaw was coming out of the penalty box. Toews took the puck off Zdeno Chara’s stick along the boards after a face-off and raced down the ice on a two-on-one with Kane. Toews kept it and beat Tuukka Rask five-hole for the equalizer, setting the stage for an unforgettable third period, and another Hawks championship.