Lightning Parade 2021: Twitter Reaction, Photos, Videos, GIFs and More
Jul 12, 2021
TAMPA, FLORIDA - JULY 07: The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrate with the Stanley Cup in the locker room after their 1-0 victory in Game Five of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final to win the series four games to one against the Montreal Canadiens at Amalie Arena on July 07, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images)
With the Tampa Bay Lightning winning their second straight Stanley Cup trophy, fans in the city were once again treated to a boat parade along the Hillsborough River.
Just like after the Lightning's title in 2020 and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Super Bowl in February, fans lined alongside the Tampa Riverwalk to see their favorite players celebrate while holding a trophy.
The Stanley Cup made its way around the water with a lot of people getting their hands on it:
— Lightning on FanDuel Sports Network (@FDSN_Lightning) July 12, 2021
The day showed that fans and players do not get tired of winning and celebrating champions. The well-attended event was another exciting moment for a city that has become known for titles.
The Tampa Bay Rays will hope to be the next squad to enjoy a championship in the region.
Tampa Dive Team 'Ready' If Lightning Copy Tom Brady, Toss Stanley Cup During Parade
Jul 12, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning players celebrate after winning the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals series in Game 5 against the Montreal Canadiens, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan M. Ebenhack)
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the best hockey team in the NHL and back-to-back champions.
But they don't have the greatest quarterback of all time to throw the championship trophy during the celebration like the Tampa Bay Buccaneers did after they won the Super Bowl. Just to be safe, the Tampa Police Department announced its "dive team is ready" if one of the hockey players attempts such a throw with the Stanley Cup:
Brady famously threw the Lombardi Trophy during the Buccaneers' boat parade, but he completed the pass.
"It's their day," Tampa Mayor Jane Castor told reporters when asked about the possibility of the Lightning attempting the same move. "We are always prepared. We have divers if Stanley gets wet. We'll get him back in short order."
The Lightning earned their celebration with a convincing five-game victory over the Montreal Canadiens in the Stanley Cup Final. The series was never truly in doubt after a commanding 5-1 win in Game 1, as Tampa Bay completed a dominant playoffs that featured a 16-7 record.
Still, the team might need some passing lessons from Brady before anyone attempts to throw the Stanley Cup.
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov Earns Bud Light Endorsement After Shirtless Presser
Jul 9, 2021
TAMPA, FL - JULY 7: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning hoists the Stanley Cup overhead after the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five to win the best of seven game series 4-1 during the Stanley Cup Final of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on July 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
Bud Light announced Friday it has signed
Tampa Bay Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov to an endorsement contract
after he drank the company's beer during his now-viral shirtless press
conference after the NHL team won its second straight Stanley Cup
title on Wednesday night.
Kucherov delivered some brutally honest
postgame remarks in wake of the championship celebration, most
notably taking aim at fans of the runner-up Montreal Canadiens for
their response to a Game 4 overtime win despite the Bolts' 3-1 lead
in the series at the time (NSFW language):
"The fans in Montreal acted like they won the Stanley Cup last game. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Their final was last round."
The Lightning scored a 1-0 victory in
Game 5 on Wednesday to close out the series. They are the NHL's first
back-to-back champions since the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and
2017.
Kucherov, who missed the entire 2020-21
regular season while recovering from hip surgery, didn't miss a beat
when he returned for the postseason. He led all playoff scorers with
32 points (eight goals and 24 assists) in 23 games during Tampa's
title run.
The 28-year-old Russian, who was
equally impactful with 34 points in last year's playoffs, is a
three-time All-Star and won the Hart Memorial Trophy as the NHL's MVP
for the 2018-19 season.
Kucherov, a 2011 second-round pick, has averaged
better than a point per game (546 points in 515 appearances) in the
regular season since making his debut for Tampa in 2013.
The Bolts will face difficult
roster decisions in the offseason as they deal with a salary-cap
crunch while trying to keep as many pieces from their championship
rosters together, but Bud Light's newest endorser is a
lock to return for the three-peat bid.
Lightning Parade 2021: Route, Date, Schedule, TV Info and More
Jul 8, 2021
TAMPA, FL - JULY 7: The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates in the locker room with the Stanley Cup after the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five to win the best of seven game series 4-1 during the Stanley Cup Final of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on July 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
The Tampa Bay Lightning announced Thursday they'll hold a Stanley Cup championship boat parade on the
Hillsborough River, which can be viewed from the Tampa Riverwalk, on
Monday at 11 a.m. ET.
After the parade, the celebration of the team's second straight NHL title will move to the city's Julian B. Lane Riverfront Park at 2 p.m. ET, with musical performances featuring Vo Williams and Big Boi.
Bally Sports Sun will provide
television coverage of the event for fans who can't attend.
Ready for round two?!
Boat parade and championship celebration info is here! We'll see you all Monday, July 12 ⛵️
"Fans are encouraged to spread out on
both sides of the river along the full route," the team wrote. "No
outside boats will be allowed to participate in the parade as fans
are invited to watch via land."
The format is similar to September's event,
in which the Lightning held a boat parade followed by a championship
celebration at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers' Raymond James Stadium after
winning the 2020 title.
Perhaps that event provided some good
mojo for the Bucs, who went on to win the Super Bowl in February at
Raymond James Stadium, becoming the first team in NFL history to do so on their home
field.
The star-studded Lightning overwhelmed
the upstart Canadiens in the Final. They won the first three games of the
series and, after losing Game 4 in overtime, returned home to close
out the series Wednesday night with a 1-0 victory.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy was awarded
the Conn Smythe Trophy as the playoff MVP, while the Bolts featured
all of the top-five scorers in the NHL postseason, led by Nikita
Kucherov with 32 points.
With three championship parades in the
last 10 months, Tampa is the U.S.' current title town.
Ice from Lightning's Amalie Arena to Be Used in Limited Edition Coors Light Beer
Jul 8, 2021
TAMPA, FL - JULY 7: The Tampa Bay Lightning celebrates in the locker room with the Stanley Cup after the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five to win the best of seven game series 4-1 during the Stanley Cup Final of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on July 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
Ice from the Tampa Bay Lightning's
Amalie Arena used during Game 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final against
the Montreal Canadiens was collected and brewed into "Champions
Ice," a limited-edition beer from Coors Light to commemorate the
team's second straight championship.
"We thought it'd be awesome to
celebrate with the people in Tampa by creating a special batch of
Coors Light for them to enjoy, created from the ice where the
Lightning put all of their blood, sweat and tears into winning the
championship," Coors Light marketing director Chris Steele told
ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.
Coors Light, an official beer of the Lightning, is making the first beer made with the actual ice the Stanley Cup Final was played on. Coors Light has scraped ice from rink & has been brewing beer in Colorado. “Champions Ice” will be in Tampa bars & 32 oz. growlers starting 7/12. pic.twitter.com/yKsFLFoCTU
Tampa won the first three games of the NHL's championship series before Montreal took Game 4 to send the series back to Amalie
Arena, where the Bolts closed out another title with a 1-0 win
Wednesday night.
Steele explained to Wyshynski the ice
was shipped overnight to the company's brewery in Colorado after Game 5 to allow for a quick turnaround, with sales set to begin July 12.
"We did an official
de-ick-ifying," he said. "But in all seriousness, what is
being shipped to Tampa Bay has gone through all our food and safety
requirements. We took the ice, passed it through several different,
incredibly effective filters. We filtered out the unhealthy stuff.
But the magic and the spirit of the Tampa Bay Lightning are still in
it."
Along with helping the Lightning
celebrate their back-to-back championships, Steele added the beer is
also aimed to help local restaurants and bars trying to recover
from the financial impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
"We really wanted to help support
the businesses in Tampa Bay as they bounce back, and they'll also
have Coors Light available for those who aren't quite up to consuming
hockey rink ice," he said.
Tampa Bay's latest triumph marked the third
title in franchise history with the other coming in 2004.
Bolts goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Conn
Smythe Trophy as the NHL's playoff MVP.
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov Played with Fractured Rib Injury in Stanley Cup Final
Jul 8, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov hoists the Stanley Cup after the team defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Phelan Ebenhack)
Tampa Bay Lightning superstar forward Nikita Kucherov played through a fractured rib during the Stanley Cup Final.
Kucherov's agent, Dan Milstein, revealed the nature of the injury Thursday to Joe Smith of The Athletic.
Milstein also told Smith that Kucherov required multiple injections throughout the series after suffering the injury during the Conference Finals on a cross-check by New York Islander defenseman Scott Mayfield in Game 6:
Not sure if it contributed to the injury but Kucherov cross-checked earlier that shift by Mayfield in corner. Was a bit slow to get up there too pic.twitter.com/7Hp1MA9PAq
Despite the injury, Kucherov managed to play in Tampa's Game 7 win over the Isles, and he was in the lineup for all five Stanley Cup Final games as the Lightning beat the Montreal Canadiens 4-1 in the series to win their second consecutive Stanley Cup.
The 28-year-old Kucherov was the driving force behind Tampa's offensive success during the playoffs, as he appeared in all 23 games and led the team with 32 points. His 24 assists were also tops, while his eight goals were tied with Steven Stamkos and Alex Killorn for second on the team behind Brayden Point's 14.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP thanks to his 16-7 record, 1.90 goals-against average, .937 save percentage and five shutouts, but Kucherov was a strong candidate as well and may have won the award most other years with the numbers he put up.
Making Kucherov's postseason performance even more impressive is the fact that he didn't appear in a single regular-season game in 2020-21 while recovering from a hip injury.
Getting Kucherov back for the playoffs was huge for Tampa's Stanley Cup chances, as he has been one of the most dynamic offensive players in the NHL over the past five years.
Entering this season, Kucherov posted four straight seasons with at least 85 points, including 100 in 2017-18 and a career-high 128 in 2018-19.
Kucherov set career highs in goals (41), assists (87) and points (128) in 2018-19 en route to winning the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, as well as the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer.
After not missing a step in his return from injury during the playoffs and battling through a rib injury to put up huge numbers, Kucherov is poised to return to MVP contention in 2021-22 provided he can stay healthy.
Kucherov set career highs in goals (41), assists (87) and points (128) in 2018-19 en route to winning the Hart Trophy as NHL MVP, as well as the Art Ross Trophy as the league's top scorer.
After not missing a step in his return from injury during the playoffs and battling through a rib injury to put up huge numbers, Kucherov is poised to return to MVP contention in 2021-22 provided he can stay healthy.
Tom Brady Jokes About Tossing Stanley Cup: Everything Is Lighter After Some Tequila
Jul 8, 2021
TAMPA, FL - FEBRUARY 07: Super Bowl MVP Tom Brady (12) of the Buccaneers holds the Lombardi Trophy after the Super Bowl LV game between the Kansas City Chiefs and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers on February 7, 2021 at Raymond James Stadium, in Tampa, FL. (Photo by Cliff Welch/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
Tom Brady, who famously tossed the
Lombardi Trophy across water to another boat during the Tampa Bay
Buccaneers' Super Bowl celebration in February, responded to a
message from the NHL's Stanley Cup Twitter account after the Tampa
Bay Lightning secured their second straight title Wednesday.
Brady led the Bucs to a 31-9 blowout
victory over the defending champion Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV, and the franchise opted
for a water-based celebration rather than a traditional parade.
The seven-time Super Bowl champion proceeded to deliver a strike to tight end Cameron Brate on a moderately long
throw across the water without losing the trophy or poking anybody's
eye out, so it was no harm, no foul.
The most impressive pitch and catch of @TomBrady's career 🤯🏆
The Lightning continued the city's
title-winning ways by clinching another Cup with a Game 5 victory
over the Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday night.
Brady, who's got a little free time
on his hands between his appearance in Capital One's The Match on
Tuesday and the start of Bucs training camp July 24, sounds ready to
help Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Co. with
their Cup-tossing technique if called upon.
The future Hall of Famer might just need a couple of drinks
first, especially since the NHL's championship trophy weighs 34.5
pounds compared to the seven-pound Lombardi Trophy.
Lightning vs. Canadiens: Game 5 Stats, Highlights from Series-Clinching Game
Jul 8, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning teammates surround goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy after the Lighting defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 to win the Stanley Cup in Game 5 of the NHL hockey finals, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
During their run to the Stanley Cup Final, the Montreal Canadiens pulled off several upsets. They overcame adversity and staged unlikely comebacks. However, this time was different. The Tampa Bay Lightning were far too dominant.
The Lightning successfully completed their quest to repeat as Stanley Cup champions Wednesday night, beating the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 5 at Amalie Arena. After winning the Cup once in its first 27 seasons as an NHL franchise, Tampa Bay has now won two in two seasons.
Not only that, but the Lightning's back-to-back Cup wins also came less than a year apart. They won it in September in the NHL bubble, defeating the Dallas Stars in a season that had been paused because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This time, Tampa Bay's fans got to join in on the celebration as soon as the final horn sounded. And even better for them, the Cup-clinching victory came on the Lightning's home ice.
Here's a look back at the final game of this year's Stanley Cup Final.
Notable Stats
Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy: 22 saves, zero goals allowed
Tampa Bay forward Ross Colton: one goal, one shot
Tampa Bay defenseman Ryan McDonagh: one assist, one shot
Tampa Bay defenseman David Savard: one assist, two shots
Montreal goaltender Carey Price: 29 saves, one goal allowed
Highlights
There wasn't much offense in Game 5. With Vasilevskiy and Price as the goaltenders, that's what many expected this series to look like. It wasn't always the case, especially as the Lightning dominated early on, but the final contest of the series met those expectations.
Because of how strong Vasilevskiy has been in the net, Tampa Bay wasn't going to need much offense to close out this series—especially considering that the 26-year-old goaltender continually plays his best in the biggest moments of a playoff series.
The only puck that got into the net Wednesday night came off the stick of the rookie Colton, who had scored three previous goals this postseason but none since Game 5 of the Lightning's second-round series against the Carolina Hurricanes.
Colton redirected a puck in front of the net past Price, putting Tampa Bay ahead with six minutes, 33 seconds to go in the second period:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 8, 2021
According to the NHL, Colton is only the seventh rookie to score a Stanley Cup-clinching goal—the New Jersey Devils' Mike Rupp (2003) is the only other player to have done that in the past 90 years.
But this series belonged to Vasilevskiy. He had a tremendous postseason, and he took his game to another level on the biggest stage. Over the five-game series against the Canadiens, Vasilevskiy allowed only eight goals and collected 132 saves.
That impressive performance earned Vasilevskiy the Conn Smythe Trophy. He's the 14th goaltender to win the award and the first since the Los Angeles Kings' Jonathan Quick in 2012.
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 8, 2021
Vasilevskiy ensured that the one goal the Lightning scored Wednesday night would be enough. The Canadiens pulled Price late, and they had the puck behind the Tampa Bay net in the closing seconds.
However, the Lightning's defense clamped down and prevented the Habs from getting off a final shot, clearing the puck to the other end of the ice. Before the Canadiens could bring it back down, the clock ran out and Tampa Bay had secured another Cup victory:
— NBC Sports Hockey (@NBCSportsHockey) July 8, 2021
"[Vasilevskiy's] compete level is as high as it can be," Lightning forward Nikita Kucherov said, per Stephen Whyno of the Associated Press. "I remember him when he was 16. He was always the guy that cares about the game and wants to be better and he wants to be No. 1. And, as we can see, he is."
It hadn't been too long since a team had completed a Stanley Cup repeat, as the Pittsburgh Penguins won it in both 2016 and 2017. However, it's been much longer since a team has had a three-peat. The most recent team to do it was the New York Islanders, who won four straight Cups from 1980-83.
With how impressive the Lightning were throughout the postseason, it's only fitting that their final victory was one of their most dominant. And it showed exactly why Tampa Bay again made it to this point.
The Tampa Bay Lightning Are Built to Remain Stanley Cup Contenders
Jul 8, 2021
Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) hands the Stanley Cup to goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy after Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup finals against the Montreal Canadiens, Wednesday, July 7, 2021, in Tampa, Fla. (AP Photo/Gerry Broome)
For Tampa Bay Lightning players and fans, Wednesday's Game 5 win against the Montreal Canadiens to clinch their second consecutive Stanley Cup will set off months of celebrations before moving on to the 2021-22 season.
General manager Julien BriseBois won't have the luxury of participating in extended festivities. On July 17, all NHL teams (except Vegas) must submit their protection lists for the Seattle expansion draft. Lightning management will have to prepare that list and participate in leaguewide trade discussions before that day. Almost immediately, BriseBois will have to consider what the future of his team will look like.
Through a combination of fortunate circumstances and brilliant maneuvering, BriseBois was able to build a playoff roster that, as Carolina Hurricanes defenseman Dougie Hamilton put it, was "$18 million over the cap or whatever they are." That won't be repeated in 2021-22.
"If 2020 was the first day of school, 2021 would be the last day," head coach Jon Cooper told the media on July 3. "I think we all know the realities of the sport. Our team's been well-documented. Finally getting over the hump last year and then remarkably being able to stick together for one more crack at it. I don't see the circumstances of what happened last year happening again, and I know the players don't see that."
In some capacity, the Lightning will look different next season. But while it will be the end of an era, the Lightning remain well-positioned to maintain contender status for the foreseeable future.
The Core Is Here to Stay
Thanks to one brilliant salary dump involving the Ottawa Senators and the opportunity, even if unfortunate, to stash Nikita Kucherov on long-term injured reserve, the Lightning were able to manage the salary cap and keep most of its 2020 Stanley Cup roster intact.
That will not be the case for next season. Even after assuming that unrestricted free agents Blake Coleman, Barclay Goodrow and David Savard will sign elsewhere this summer, the Lightning will still enter the offseason roughly $5 million over the salary cap with a few roster spots still to fill, per CapFriendly. Change is coming in Tampa Bay. Alex Killorn, Tyler Johnson, Ondrej Palat and Yanni Gourde are among those whose futures are uncertain.
But unless BriseBois actively chooses to make a major extraction, the nucleus of the team will remain intact. Nikita Kucherov (28) and Brayden Point (25) are under contract next season at relative bargain prices and should be elite contributors for a number of years, while Anthony Cirelli (23) is a capable second-line center. Victor Hedman (30) and Ryan McDonagh (32) are signed long term, while one, if not both, of Eric Cernak (24) and Mikhail Sergachev (23) will stick around to continue to give the team a strong top three on defense.
And in goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy (26) is signed through 2028 and is finally living up to his potential, posting a Vezina-caliber season in 2021 before winning the Conn Smythe trophy this postseason.
Notably missing from this list is Steven Stamkos. Signed through 2024, it wouldn't be wise to predict the team captain's departure. Now 31 and relegated to the wing, he's still a phenomenal goal scorer, but it's fair to wonder, as contract extensions become necessary for Point and others, whether he might be a reluctant cap casualty before his contract expires. For the 2021-22 season, at least, he probably remains an important piece of the core.
The Lightning will inevitably lose a few players who are useful, and BriseBois might need to put some extra effort into avoiding a bigger loss in the Seattle expansion draft. Barring something unforeseen, the team's main drivers should be exempt from the clearing-out effort.
The Continuing Developmental Pipeline
In a salary-cap league, losing capable players is the nature of the beast for the top teams. Cup winners can face a sharp decline when the team either overpays to keep peripheral players or fails to replace them.
No team has displayed more ability to recycle cheap depth over the past five seasons than the Lightning. One contributing factor is the well-thought-out additions of experienced NHL players. BriseBois intelligently brought in Barclay Goodrow and Blake Coleman in trades, knowing they would be able to contribute over multiple seasons on frugal contracts rather than as pure rentals. Pat Maroon will play his third straight season on a $900K contract next year.
The benefit of building a strong team is that good players looking to win will give up money to join and remain. BriseBois will likely scavenge the free-agent and trade markets for more cheap depth this summer.
But the bigger boon for Tampa Bay has been its ability to develop from within. Take a look at the many skaters from the 2020 and 2021 Stanley Cup teams who spent meaningful time with their AHL affiliate in Syracuse.
Data via hockeydb.com
For every Nikita Kucherov or Victor Hedman who is destined to seamlessly integrate into the NHL, there are a lot more prospects for whom making the NHL is not an inevitability. The developmental setups of a given NHL organization can make or break many careers.
The Lightning have proved the best in the league at taking nondescript late-round draft picks and undrafted free agents and slowly building them into players on cheap contracts who are capable of producing in the NHL. For a contending team that will inevitably move draft picks and prospects in pursuit of winning, turning straw into gold at the minor league level, as Tampa Bay has, is prudent.
Talent identification is a big part of that process, but so too is making sure the AHL affiliate is prepared. Syracuse head coach Benoit Groulx has done a phenomenal job the past five seasons and should be on the radars of other NHL teams for a bigger role.
The Lightning have more talent coming through the pipeline. Ross Colton and Mathieu Joseph, who played depth roles for the Lightning during the 2021 Cup win, are deserving of bigger roles next season. Potentially joining them from the AHL are Alexander Barre-Boulet, Boris Katchouk, Otto Somppi and Taylor Raddysh. All four have been marinating in the AHL for a few seasons and have legitimate potential as depth forwards. On defense, 2017 first-round pick Cal Foote has already demonstrated in 35 NHL games that he's up to the standard.
Tampa Bay has no game-breakers on the way, but it already has enough foundational pieces for the immediate future. A few positive contributors who can fill in the gaps are sufficient.
The Lightning Are Here to stay
The Lightning are not Teflon. They got a number of breaks last offseason that aren't going to be replicated this time around. For BriseBois, the ambition will be to keep Gourde, Palat, Sergachev and Cernak. The loss of any of those four will especially hurt.
Regardless, the team is set up well to keep the momentum going. The players most intrinsic to its success the past two seasons will undoubtedly remain, and the Lightning have a track record for developing unheralded prospects into NHL contributors.
Head coach Jon Cooper, arguably the best in the business, is also a major asset who gets the most out of players and has proved his ability to adjust to circumstances and gameplay around the players available to him.
Management will have to roll with the punches this offseason, and it's unlikely the roster will be as stacked as it was in 2021. In fact, it might even take a season or two for the team to recover from the depletion of draft picks and roster losses.
Still, the Lightning remain a healthy organization with much of its backbone still young enough and likely to hang around for years to come. The sun isn't setting. As long as the team sticks to what has made it successful the previous five seasons, the Lightning should be in the mix for the Stanley Cup again next season and will have years beyond to build a new cycle of contention under Kucherov, Point and Vasilevskiy.
Lightning's Nikita Kucherov Rips Canadiens Fans: 'Their Final Was Last Series'
Jul 8, 2021
TAMPA, FL - JULY 7: Nikita Kucherov #86 of the Tampa Bay Lightning hoists the Stanley Cup overhead after the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens in Game Five to win the best of seven game series 4-1 during the Stanley Cup Final of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena on July 7, 2021 in Tampa, Florida. (Photo by Scott Audette/NHLI via Getty Images)
Tampa Bay Lightning superstar Nikita
Kucherov took aim at Montreal Canadiens supporters during a Bud
Light-fueled press conference following the Bolts' Game 5 win
Wednesday night to clinch their second straight Stanley Cup
championship.
"The fans in Montreal acted like
they won the Stanley Cup last game," Kucherov said about the celebration after the Habs' Game 4 win. "Are you
kidding me? Are you kidding me? Their final was last series"
"The fans in Montreal acted like they won the Stanley Cup last game. Are you kidding me? Are you kidding me? Their final was last round."
Kucherov was nothing short of
spectacular throughout the Lightning's title run. He tallied 32
points (eight goals and 24 assists) in 23 playoff games, including 19
power-play points as the team converted 32.4 percent of its
opportunities on the man advantage.
His availability for the postseason was
a point of contention all year, though.
The 28-year-old Russian winger
underwent hip surgery in December after Tampa's Stanley Cup triumph
last season, which allowed the franchise to place him on long-term
injured reserve and avoid his $9.5 million cap hit to remain under
the salary cap for the 2020-21 campaign.
Cap rules don't apply for the playoffs,
however, so the Lightning were able to activate him before the
opening round without any violations or being forced to bench any key
players to create cap space.
In June, Tampa Bay general manager
Julien BriseBois said the NHL reviewed the situation and cleared the
Bolts of any wrongdoing.
"I know [the NHL] investigated the
Nikita Kucherov one, and we have to be able to justify the surgery,
the rehab time, the return to play clearance to make sure that
everything was done according to the rules and according to the
circumstances, and those were the cards we were dealt," BriseBois
told reporters.
The Lightning face a similar problem
heading into the offseason—they're already a projected
$3.5 million over the 2021-22 salary cap with only 17 of the
necessary 20 players, per CapFriendly—so how they navigate the
situation will be watched closely over the summer once again.
Meanwhile, it's hard to blame Canadiens
fans for their hearty celebration after Game 4. They made a highly
unexpected run to the NHL's championship series and beat the
star-studded reigning champions in overtime on home ice. That's
reason enough to go wild despite the fact they were still staring down a 3-1 series
deficit at the time.
Kucherov's comments will surely stick
in the minds of the Habs and their supporters heading into next
season and beyond, though. He'll be public enemy No. 1 every time he enters the
Bell Centre from this point forward.
