Lightning Parade 2020: Twitter Reaction, Photos, Videos, Highlights and More
Sep 30, 2020
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) celebrates with the bench after scoring against the Montreal Canadiens during the first period of an NHL hockey game Thursday, March 5, 2020, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Chris O'Meara)
The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrated their Stanley Cup title in unique fashion with a boat parade through the city Wednesday.
The socially distanced event allowed the team to see the fans after spending the entire postseason in a bubble environment in Edmonton and Toronto, Canada.
The players were certainly ready for fun well before the parade began:
The Lightning were impressive throughout the postseason, going 16-6 overall while never facing a Game 7 in any round. Even with captain Steven Stamkos sidelined for most of the playoffs, the rest of the team stepped up, including Conn Smythe winner Victor Hedman.
It all helped bring home the second Stanley Cup title in franchise history and first since 2004.
After a bizarre season that featured an extended break due to the pandemic and a postseason in a bubble, the players enjoyed a well-earned celebration Wednesday.
Lightning Parade 2020: Route, Date, Schedule, TV Info and More
Sep 29, 2020
Tampa Bay Lightning's Kevin Shattenkirk (22) congratulates goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy after the team's 5-3 win over the Boston Bruins in an NHL hockey game Saturday, March 7, 2020, in Boston. (AP Photo/Winslow Townson)
It's time to celebrate, Tampa Bay.
Safely, of course.
The COVID-19 pandemic upended the 2019-20 NHL season and moved the playoffs to bubble-like environments in Toronto and Edmonton. It is only right, then, that the Tampa Bay Lightning's championship celebration is impacted by the ongoing issues, although fans will still have an opportunity to party following the victory over the Dallas Stars.
According to the club's official website, the Lightning and the City of Tampa will host two celebratory events on Wednesday.
The first is the 2020 Stanley Cup Champions Boat Parade on the City of Tampa Riverwalk/Hillsborough River and begins at 5 p.m. Fans are urged to wear masks and practice social distancing.
Attention then shifts to the 2020 Stanley Cup Champions Celebration at Raymond James Stadium, where stadium doors open at 6:30 prior to the 7:30 celebration.
Fans can sit in socially distant pods and must claim their mobile only tickets on Ticketmaster.
Television and live-stream information was unknown as of Tuesday at 2 a.m. ET. Check local listings for television and live stream information.
Tampa Bay earned the right to celebrate with a 2-0 victory in Monday's Game 6 behind goals from Brayden Point and Blake Coleman and a shutout from Andrei Vasilevskiy. The game was rarely ever in doubt as the team quickly bounced back from Saturday's double-overtime loss in Game 5.
Defenseman Victor Hedman was awarded with the Conn Smythe Trophy as the Most Valuable Player of the entire playoffs thanks to 22 points on 10 goals and 12 assists.
It was quite the unusual season for the entire NHL, but Tampa Bay was a dominant force throughout and a deserving champion. Fans may not have been able to attend the playoff games, but they will be able to celebrate on Wednesday.
Finally! Deserving Lightning Put Playoff Disappointment to Rest with Cup Win
Sep 29, 2020
Tampa Bay Lightning center Carter Verhaeghe, left, celebrates with center Blake Coleman (20), defenseman Erik Cernak (81) and Barclay Goodrow after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 8, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
Maybe it was a building full of reminders of a great hockey dynasty.
Or maybe it was the memory of last year, and a collapse labeled epic by anyone who witnessed it.
Regardless of reason, these Tampa Bay Lightning were a different team than in 2019.
Oh sure, the stars were still there. Playoff goals leader Brayden Point. All-world goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy. And dynamic defensive catalyst Victor Hedman. All were full-time players last spring.
All left Nationwide Arena in disgust after the league’s best regular-season team shook hands with jubilant Columbus Blue Jackets players and wished them well after an embarrassing four-game sweep.
In that red-faced aftermath, they used phrases like “didn’t have an answer,” “didn’t see this coming” and “hard to pinpoint.”
Fast-forward to Monday night at Edmonton’s Rogers Place—exactly 531 days and about 2,000 miles past the debacle in central Ohio—and any one of that trio could have been cradling the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP that writers and media members awarded to Hedman.
And no one would have complained.
Because this Lightning team was all about the Stanley Cup.
The league’s second-southernmost franchise captured its second NHL championship in the league’s northernmost city—defeating the Dallas Stars, 2-0, to end their best-of-7 series in six games and complete an unprecedented postseason odyssey with a league-best 18-7 record.
This time around, the Stars were the ones skating away dejectedly.
And the phrases coming from the guys in blue and white, whose giddiness echoed throughout an otherwise silent barn as they surrounded the trophy before the official presentation, sounded more like “loss for words,’ “so many emotions” and “tough to describe.”
If you look at the standings—where Tampa Bay has won more games (158) and amassed more points (333) than any team in the last three regular seasons—it was expected.
But in terms of intangibles like mettle, grit and determination, and the willingness to take the lumps that come with the grisly playoff beards, these Lightning finally proved themselves. They became the first expansion-era team to win a Cup a season after a first-round sweep.
“We’re a different group," Hedman said.
"It's so worth it now. We’re coming home with the Cup. It means the world. Being a part of this organization for 11, 12 years. It's been a great ride. It's gonna take a few weeks or months to sink in.”
Perhaps it’s the geography talking, but fans of a certain vintage might shelve this team’s metamorphosis story alongside one that also occurred in northern Alberta a generation or so before.
Back then, it was a 106-point Oilers team—whose 1983 playoff roster boasted surnames like Gretzky, Messier, Kurri and Coffey—encountering a veteran New York Islanders unit and expecting to blow through them thanks to youthful enthusiasm and statistical star power.
Four games later the Islanders captured a fourth Stanley Cup, and Gretzky relayed a story of walking past the winning dressing room and dreading seeing the visitors in the throes of celebration. Instead, he saw a host of players draped in ice bags and exhaustion, and learned a lesson about the sacrifices winning demands.
A year later, the Oilers faced those same Islanders in the championship round, earned a gritty 1-0 decision in the series opener on Long Island and wound up taking the series—and the Cup—in five.
Hurdle cleared, they proceeded to win four of the next six titles as well, with the 1984-85 squad earning acclaim from fans in 2017 as the greatest NHL team of all time.
The symbolic hurdle came for the Lightning in round one of these playoffs, when they emerged from a round-robin tune-up series and exorcised the Columbus ghost in five competitive, but nevertheless decisive games. A five-game elimination of this year’s Presidents Trophy winners—the Boston Bruins—followed, and was succeeded by a spirited six-game ouster of the New York Islanders.
Along the way they won six of their eight overtime games, followed each of their seven losses with a win and did so almost entirely without the services of their "best" player, center Steven Stamkos, who scored 29 goals and 66 points across 57 games in the regular season, but saw less than three minutes of ice time in the entire postseason thanks to a lingering core muscle injury that left him "unfit to play."
Whenever adversity arrived, unlike last year, the mantra overcame the moribund.
Next man up. Next man in. Play for the name on the front, not the name on the back.
It's an anthem sung by the lunch-pail likes of Pat Maroon, Zach Bogosian and Kevin Shattenkirk, all of whom were acquired before or during the season to gird the team's heart and soul.
The payoff? A somber walk past the bench one year. A celebratory lap around the rink the next.
"It still doesn't feel real. I'm so proud of every single player on this team," Stamkos said. "I'm speechless. This is amazing. Everything we've gone through. The ups and downs. The doubters. We proved them all wrong."
Of course, given modern free agency and salary caps—and considering no team since 2000 has won more than three Cups—it’s unlikely that Tampa Bay will go full-on Oilers and hang four more banners between now and 2026. In fact, the Lightning’s cap situation is particularly precarious in that they have no fewer than 10 free agents to deal with and just more than $5 million in available space.
So keeping this team or a reasonable facsimile of it together in a compressed offseason is a task general manager/tinkering wizard Julien BriseBois will have to tend to as soon as locker room revelry subsides.
But you can’t blame them if they take an extra champagne sip or two in the meantime.
For this group in particular, it’s been a long time coming.
Lightning Win 2020 Stanley Cup Final: Score, Celebration Highlights and Reaction
Sep 28, 2020
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov is mobbed by teammates after scoring the winning goal in overtime of an NHL hockey game against the Colorado Avalanche Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, in Denver. The Lightning won 4-3. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Redemption.
The Tampa Bay Lightning went from stunning losers to Stanley Cup champions in the course of one season, and they did it in style. Monday's Game 6 against the Dallas Stars was never truly in doubt thanks to brilliant defending, a shutout from Andrei Vasilevskiy and timely goals from Brayden Point and Blake Coleman on the way to a 2-0 victory.
It was quite a difference from last season when the Lightning tied the NHL record for the most wins in a regular season just to get swept by the Columbus Blue Jackets in the first round of the playoffs.
The result was a 4-2 victory over the Stars in the series and Tampa Bay's first Stanley Cup title since the 2003-04 season.
Fittingly, the Lightning were in a celebratory mood.
The Conn Smythe Trophy goes to the Most Valuable Player of the entire playoffs, and Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman took home the award this year.
Hedman notched an assist in Monday's victory, which was his 12th of the playoffs to go with 10 goals. His 10 goals were the third-most for a defenseman in postseason history, per Justin Cuthbert of Yahoo Sports.
The 2017-18 Norris winner is likely heading to the Hall of Fame, and this is the best part of an already notable resume that includes four NHL All-Star team selections.
Game 6
Dallas had the momentum after keeping its season alive with a 3-2 win in double-overtime in Saturday's Game 5, but the Lightning wasted little time seizing it right back.
Point, who has been brilliant throughout the playoffs, opened the scoring with a power-play goal in the first period, and Coleman added the insurance in the second period. That was enough with Hedman and the defense getting into shooting lanes and breaking up opportunities for the Stars with impressive pressure.
It also didn't hurt having Vasilevskiy between the pipes. He turned away all 22 of the shots he faced, making sure his team would not have to face a Game 7.
Just like that, last year's failure turned into this year's championship.
Victor Hedman Wins 2020 Conn Smythe Trophy After Lightning Win Stanley Cup
Sep 28, 2020
Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman (77) in the first period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
It isn't easy to decide which player on the Tampa Bay Lightning was the most valuable during their run to a Stanley Cup championship. Several players made a strong case, but in the end Victor Hedman made the strongest, taking home the Conn Smythe Trophy.
The second @TBLightning player. The third player born in Sweden. The 10th different defenseman.
Imagine having to pick between some of the Lightning's top performers.
Nikita Kucherov made a strong argument, scoring both the most points (34) and assists (27) in one postseason in Tampa Bay history. Tampa's top-line playmaker paired with Brayden Point and Ondrej Palat to absolutely terrorize opposing defensemen and goalies in these playoffs.
Speaking of Point, he led the Lightning with 14 goals and was second overall in points (33) behind only Kucherov. Without prolific goal-scorer Steven Stamkos, who has missed almost the entirety of the postseason due to injury, Tampa needed someone to step up in the goals department. Point obliged.
While Kucherov and Point handled the scoring, Andrei Vasilevskiy was an absolute brick wall in net, finishing these playoffs with an 18-7 record and a .927 save percentage. He was also incredibly clutch, winning six of the team's nine overtime games. It's one thing to stonewall an opposing team during regulation—it's another thing to do it in sudden death. Vasilevskiy couldn't have been any more steady or reliable.
Those are also adjectives that apply to Hedman. Never mind the steady defense—his 10 goals from his spot on the blue line are the most for a defenseman since Brian Leetch scored 11 for the New York Rangers in 1994. Or how about his NHL best plus-17 rating in these playoffs? Hedman made one hell of a case.
Lightning Defeat Stars in Game 6 to Win Franchise's 1st Stanley Cup Since 2004
Sep 28, 2020
Tampa Bay Lightning center Carter Verhaeghe, left, celebrates with center Blake Coleman (20), defenseman Erik Cernak (81) and Barclay Goodrow after scoring against the Detroit Red Wings during the second period of an NHL hockey game Sunday, March 8, 2020, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Duane Burleson)
The Tampa Bay Lightning are Stanley Cup champions for the second time in history after beating the Dallas Stars 2-0 on Monday.
Tampa Bay's only other title came in 2004. Jon Cooper guided the franchise to the Stanley Cup Final in 2015 as well, but the Lightning lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
A number of players from that squad remain on the roster, none more prominent than Steven Stamkos. The Lightning captain was limited to three minutes on the ice, but he undoubtedly served as a rallying point for his teammates.
Brayden Point got his 14th goal of the playoffs, setting a franchise record, when he drew first blood on the power play in the first period.
Those proved to be enough as the Lightning were in the driver's seat from start to finish.
Notable Performers
Blake Coleman, C, Lightning: one goal, five shots, four hits
Nikita Kucherov, RW, Lightning: one assist, four shots
Brayden Point, C, Lightning: one goal, two shots
Andrei Vasilevskiy, G, Lightning: 22 saves
Anton Khudobin, G, Stars: 27 saves
Native Son Breaks Texas Hearts
Growing up, Coleman surely dreamed of featuring in a Stanley Cup Final that included the Stars. The Plano, Texas, native probably didn't envision delivering the dagger that would deny the team a championship.
Plano, Texas' Blake Coleman grew up idolizing Joe Nieuwendyk and the Stars and just put the Lightning up 2-0 over Dallas in the Stanley Cup Final. The world works in mysterious ways sometimes... pic.twitter.com/DfePhayUK2
That means Coleman — the first Texas-raised player to play in the Stanley Cup Final — could end up being the hero tonight. That would be great news for Dallas fans on most nights, but not when it’s at the expense of the Stars. Here’s more on Coleman. https://t.co/q6E5xqgMmU
The Lightning's goal tally doesn't properly convey how well they played. The fact they didn't score more was part of the plan as they emphasized possession and controlling the puck for long stretches instead of going for quick attacks.
Lightning at 73.5 percent possession through two periods.
Only two games all postseason have been more lopsided at even strength in that department.
Game 6 proved to be pretty straightforward and anticlimactic. Rather than suffering any sort of emotional letdown after losing a double-overtime thriller, the result may have motivated the Lightning to avoid letting this series extend any longer than it needed to be.
Tampa Bay's resistance didn't break, even as the Stars threw everything they had at Andrei Vasilevskiy in the final minutes.
Stars' Magic Runs out
It's safe to say interim coach Rick Bowness wasn't instructing his players to fall behind to a point where they needed to pull a rabbit out of the hat in the third period to either climb into the lead or force overtime.
Some teams lead a charmed existence during the playoffs and ride that good fortune all the way to a title. More often than not, though, good luck can be fleeting.
Though two periods Monday, the Lightning owned a 22-8 advantage in shots and had dished out 31 hits to 20 for the Stars. Tampa Bay was thoroughly outplaying Dallas on both ends of the ice.
The Stars have eight shots on goal through two periods. They're going to need a huge push in the third period to avoid seeing the Lightning get the Stanley Cup tonight.
“It looks like (Stars) are playing uphill, and Lightning are playing downhill.” - Eddie Olyczyk after #tblightning takes 2-0 lead after two periods. Twenty minutes from franchise’s second Stanley Cup.
A third-period surge was inevitable because the Stars had no other choice but to adopt a more aggressive approach.
But one outcome of ceding so much possession to Tampa Bay was that Dallas had to chase the puck for the vast majority of the first and second periods. Stamina became an issue when the Stars needed to dig deep in the last 20 minutes.
Steven Stamkos Won't Play Remainder of 2020 Stanley Cup Final for Lightning
Sep 27, 2020
FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2020, file photo, Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) skates during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver. Columbus defenseman Seth Jones, Pittsburgh forward Jake Guentzel and Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos would’ve missed some or all of the playoffs if they started in April. Instead, the silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic halting the season is those players are healthy and ready to contribute. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said Sunday that Stamkos, who has been "unfit to play" for the playoffs since he had core muscle surgery in March, is done for the series, according to Bryan Burns of TampaBayLightning.com.
Stamkosplayed three minutes during Game 3, scoring a goal on his first shot attempt to help Tampa Bay to a 5-2 victory. After his brief appearance Wednesday, he suffered an "issue" that prevented him from returning to the ice, according toESPN's EmilyKaplan.
The decision to holdStamkosout for the remainder of the series was made Sunday morning, one day before the series-leading Lightning could clinch the Stanley Cup in Game 6.Cooper saideven his short outing in Game 3 defied expectations the team had for its captain this postseason:
"He did everything he could to get back. And he did get back, and unfortunately he couldn't go any further. I'm sure this will all be addressed after the series is over. He gamed it out. To be honest, I didn't think he was playing at all in these playoffs. I don't think any of us did. So, he gave us 2:47 of brilliant hockey that's a phenomenal story, scored a huge goal for us in a win, and hopefully we can keep that momentum."
After Game 3, it seemed Stamkosknew his season was over.
"It was just an amazing experience to share with my teammates," he said, perDiana C.Nearhosof the Tampa Bay Times. "I've watched these guys be so committed to what our end goal is, and to be part of it was a dream come true. I'm so proud of these guys to be able to share that moment with them."
Bothcoach and player have alludedtoStamkossharing details about his health after the season is over. The Lightning are hoping that when he does share what has kept him off the ice, he's doing so at a trophy celebration.
Lightning vs. Stars: Game 6 Live Stream, NBC TV Schedule, Odds, Predictions
Sep 27, 2020
Dallas Stars' Corey Perry (10) during the third period of an NHL hockey game against the New York Rangers Monday, Feb. 3, 2020, in New York. The Stars won 5-3. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
The Dallas Stars extended the NHL championship series by winning a thrilling Game 5 on Saturday, but the Tampa Bay Lightning will still have a chance to clinch the Stanley Cup in Game 6 on Monday.
The final round of the postseason has featured quite a bit of drama, with a Kevin Shattenkirk overtime goal in Game 4 giving Tampa Bay a huge leg up in the series. The Bolts had several chances to close things out Saturday night, but Corey Perry kept the Stars alive with a goal in double overtime.
Though Dallas has what it takes to overcome the 3-2 deficit, Tampa Bay hasn't dropped back-to-back games this postseason, so the Stars have to keep the momentum going if they are to force a Game 7.
Stanley Cup Final Game 6
When: Monday, Sept. 28
Time: 8 p.m. ET
TV: NBC
Live Stream: NBC Sports Live
Odds (via DraftKings): TB: -162 (wager $162 to win $100); DAL: +140 (wager $100 to win $140)
Preview
The Stars had all the pressure on them in Game 5, and they played like it.
Down 2-1 in the third, Joe Pavelski came through with the tying goal before Perry finished it in double overtime.
"It was do-or-die for us tonight, and I thought our team game was pretty good," Perry said afterwards, per David Satriano of NHL.com. "We had a lot of guys. They're in the fight. That's what we're asking for. I scored the winner, but it could have been anybody. That's what we're asking of everybody."
Perhaps more important than the effort was the mental toughness to take only one penalty, something that had been a problem in the series. Tampa Bay was unable to score in its only power-play opportunity, which helped keep Dallas in the game.
However, even the one that didn't yield a goal was still impressive:
Good power play by the Lightning but Stars able to keep it off the scoreboard so they’ll take it
Over the course of the series, the Lightning have dominated on the power play, scoring during six of their 13 chances. They had three goals in four opportunities in Game 4. This was the No. 1 scoring offense in the NHL this year, and the Bolts are especially good when they have a man advantage.
Dallas avoided the issue Saturday but won't be able to hold down this team forever. Even a few mistakes in Game 6 could cost the Western Conference champions greatly.
Even after a strong performance from goaltender Anton Khudobin last time out (39 saves for a .951 save percentage), the 34-year-old has been far from perfect this series (.902 save percentage). The Lightning should be able to find daylight, which could be enough for them to bring home their first title since 2004.
Steven Stamkos might not play, but he could be raising the Stanley Cup before the end of Monday night.
Prediction: Lightning 3, Stars 2
Lightning's Steven Stamkos 'Unfit' for Stanley Cup Final Game 4 vs. Stars
Sep 25, 2020
FILE - In this Feb. 17, 2020, file photo, Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos (91) skates during the second period of an NHL hockey game in Denver. Columbus defenseman Seth Jones, Pittsburgh forward Jake Guentzel and Tampa Bay captain Steven Stamkos would’ve missed some or all of the playoffs if they started in April. Instead, the silver lining of the COVID-19 pandemic halting the season is those players are healthy and ready to contribute. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski, File)
After returning to play in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday, Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos has been ruled "unfit" to play in Game 4 on Friday.
According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the Lightning haven't ruled Stamkos out for the remainder of the series.
Before playing Wednesday, Stamkos hadn't appeared in a game since Feb. 25 after a core muscle injury required surgery. The NHL season's hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic allowed him to return for the Final.
Stamkos played only three minutes in the first period of Game 3 but scored a goal as the Bolts won 5-2 to take a 2-1 series lead.
Per ESPN'sEmily Kaplan, Stamkos became the first player since 1940 to score a goal while making his first postseason appearance in the Stanley Cup Final.
He said after the game: "There's been a lot of hard work and different things going on behind the scenes. Just to be able to get out into a game and have an impact on a game, which a month ago may have never been possible ... I was just really happy to obviously contribute in a game that I didn't play too much."
Stamkos also noted he was dealing with an "issue" and that it was "too early" to tell if he would be able to play in Game 4.
His absence means the Lightning will once again be without one of the NHL's most dynamic offensive players. However, they reached the Final without him and won Game 2 with him in the press box as well.
Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point will once again be Tampa's go-to offensive players as they have been throughout the playoffs. They have combined for 58 points during the postseason and are chiefly responsible for the Bolts' deep run.
Defenseman Victor Hedman (20 points) and forward Ondrej Palat (16 points) will also merit focus in the Stars' defensive game plan.
Neither the Lightning nor the Stars can win the Cup on Friday, so it's still possible Stamkos could play later in the series.
Even if Stamkos doesn't see the ice again this season, his return after injuries and setbacks likely provided the Lightning with a big boost.
Lightning's Steven Stamkos Returns from Core Muscle Injury for Game 3 vs. Stars
Sep 23, 2020
Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos pursues the puck againsdt the Colorado Avalanche in the second period of an NHL hockey game Monday, Feb. 17, 2020, in Denver. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos returned for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final, nearly seven months after suffering a core muscle injury.
"He's just another thing for a team to think about when he's out there," Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters Wednesday. "So whether that's on the power play or five-on-five, you get another player who, the puck gets on his stick in the offensive zone, it might go in the net."
Stamkos originally suffered the injury Feb. 25 and underwent surgery in March before adding a lower-body injury to the mix ahead of training camp in July. He has sat out the Lightning's entire postseason run despite being a participant in some practices, working himself back into game form.
The captain didn't take long to make an impact, either, scoring in the first period against the Dallas Stars. Tampa and Dallas traded off a game apiece heading into Wednesday's critical contest.
Stamkos has spent all 12 of his NHL seasons with the Lightning after being the No. 1 overall pick in the 2008 draft. This is his second attempt at bringing a Cup back to Tampa. The Lightning lost the 2015 Stanley Cup Final to the Chicago Blackhawks in six games.
