For the second time in franchise history, and the first with this current set of stars, the Tampa Bay Lightning won the Stanley Cup.
After the Dallas Stars survived elimination by winning Game 5 in double overtime, the Lightning absolutely locked the Stars down in Game 6, winning 2-0 to take the series 4-2.
Following the Lightning putting their own spin on the Stanley Cup celebration, Victor Hedman received the Conn Smythe Trophy.
Lightning win second Stanley Cup in franchise history after beating Stars in Game 6
When contests are as one-sided as Game 6 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final was, you can get into chicken-and-the-egg arguments.
How much blame do you put on the Stars for an effort that lacked much energy? The Stars only managed eight shots on goal through the first 40 minutes.
To be fair, there was a late push. The Stars ultimately reached 21 shots on goal when they found some energy down 2-0 in the third, but it was too little, too late.
For Stars fans, this was a painful way to watch a season end for a team that otherwise continuously found ways to dig deep during this surprising playoff run.
But it’s easy to point a finger at the losing team and forget what the winners accomplished.
[NBC 2020 STANLEY CUP PLAYOFF HUB]
Top players and supporting cast members shine for Tampa Bay
In knocking out the Blue Jackets, Bruins, and Islanders, the Lightning asserted their ability to handle tough defenses and small margins for error. As explosive as Tampa Bay is, Game 6 of the 2020 Stanley Cup Final serves as textbook example of how strong a defensive team they can be.
The Lightning didn’t force the Stars to parade to the penalty box, but some key early calls ended up being all the Bolts needed. On their second power-play opportunity, Brayden Point flustered Anton Khudobin with an initial shot, and then cashed in on the rebound.
During the second period, Blake Coleman completed a pretty span of passing and transition hockey. As you may have heard, Coleman grew up as a Stars fan living close to Dallas, so scoring a big goal in the Lightning’s Stanley Cup-clinching game must feel surreal.
You know, especially since it happened close to October.
Redemption for the Lightning in impressive Stanley Cup win
After the heartache and humiliation from being swept by the Blue Jackets, the Lightning won the Stanley Cup in remarkably convincing fashion. You won’t see many teams win it all without facing elimination, but the Lightning did just that during this run.
Whenever the 2020-21 season begins, the salary cap will likely force some changes for the Lightning.
Many of the core players should be around, though, and that’s a scary thought for the rest of the NHL. Nikita Kucherov was brilliant with Point and Ondrej Palat. Andrei Vasilevskiy’s dominance went a bit under the radar because of the many other standpoint performances. And, finally, Victor Hedman asserted himself as possibly the best defenseman in the world.
The Stars likely aren’t happy with their efforts in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final, yet it’s impressive that they got this far, including against the juggernaut Lightning.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas Stars (TB wins series 4-2)
Stars 4, Lightning 1 (recap)
Lightning 3, Stars 2 (recap)
Lightning 5, Stars 2 (recap)
Lighting 5, Stars 4 [OT] (recap)
Stars 3, Lightning 2 [2OT] (recap)
Lightning 2, Stars 0
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James O’Brien is a writer for Pro Hockey Talk on NBC Sports. Drop him a line at phtblog@nbcsports.com or follow him on Twitter @cyclelikesedins.