TAMPA – The Tampa Bay Lightning fell in the first Stanley Cup three-peat since 1983 – but they don’t believe their lineage is broken.
“Who said we’re done? It’s at the core. We’ve fought. We’ve gone through all the things you can think of, and for the most part, we’ve found a way to get to the top,” said Stanley from the Colorado avalanche in Game 6 of the Cup final. Returning captain Steven Stamkos said. Sunday night. After the team lost 2-1.
The avalanche won it, winning the first Stanley Cup since 2001. As soon as the playoffs started, they were on the side of winning the cup and winning the series.
Tampa Bay coach John Cooper said: “It’s not like we lost to some powder puffs. It’s a team of bowlers there.” “We never had domestic snow. We played with all these star teams. They found a way. We just went to the second brick wall and we couldn’t get to it. “
Cooper agreed with Stamcos that the Lightning race does not end with an avalanche. In the last eight years, Lightning has reached six conference finals and four Stanley Cup finals.
“The playoff series is over,” Cooper said. But this is not the end of our run. “” In my coaching career, I am very lucky to have won championships at various levels and the same teams you remember. Sometimes you can’t remember enough that a team didn’t win. But I think I’ll remember that Most of the team. What did these men have to do with injuries? What kind of warriors are they? [with injuries],
Lightning star center Braden was out of contention in Game 7 against Toronto on May 14 after missing the last two rounds due to a lower body injury. He played the first two games against Colorado and it was ineffective and not featured. The rest of the series. Like many other players, players like forward Anthony Cirelli and defender Eric Cernack played through injuries.
“You will be shocked when the injury report comes out,” said Forward Pat. “I am very proud of what these people have done in the last three years. We took a single run. We just fell short. “
The clutch winger enters The Lightning off-season with a handful of free agents, including Ondridge Palt, trade deadline pickup Nick Paul and stationary defender Jan Rutta. But the core of the team is under contract for 2022-23.
Whether or not they have bid for three cups in four seasons, Cooper said the group is one of the greatest in NHL history.
“These people are with the Islanders and Oilers of the 1980s. The teams you have been talking about for decades, ”he said.