Tag: 2022 Stanley Cup Final

NHL fans were livid that Pat Maroon didn’t get penalized for this dirty play in the Stanley Cup Final

This wasn’t good from Pat Maroon.

Frustrations are setting in for the Tampa Bay Lightning in the Stanley Cup Final.

With the Lightning trailing 2-1 in the second period of Game 6 against the Colorado Avalanche — and with Tampa Bay down in the series 3-2 — things got heated quickly for the back-to-back champions. After the Avalanche scored two goals in the second to take the lead, Lightning forward Pat Maroon took a cheap shot at Avalanche defenseman Josh Manson in front of the Tampa net.

On the play, Maroon chopped at Manson’s leg for no apparent reason, but somehow the play didn’t draw a penalty despite the illegality of the entire exchange.

Yeah, that’s not great! NHL fans were livid over the fact that Maroon avoided a penalty in a key situation for such an unnecessary motion.

Lightning could join this extremely exclusive club with comeback from 3-1 series deficit in Stanley Cup Final

The only other team to make history isn’t one you’ll expect.

The Lightning had their backs against the wall on Friday night in Denver. But Tampa Bay didn’t fold. Already down 3-1 in the series in the Stanley Cup Final to the Colorado Avalanche (-1.5), Andrei Vasilevskiy and co. responded the way you’d expect any two-time defending champion to do: with desperation and heart.

Thanks to their 3-2 win on the strength of Ondrej Palat’s clutch goal, the Lightning put themselves nearly on the brink of membership to one of the NHL’s more exclusive clubs. We’re talking about them becoming one of the only squads in the entire league’s history to come back from a 3-1 series deficit in a Cup Final.

Who’s the only current squad to have managed such an achievement? Go ahead. I’ll give you one guess. Really think about it because it’s not a franchise you’ll expect.

…

Stumped? Okay, here goes: (For now) the 1942 Maple Leafs are the only team to ever come back from 3-1 in a Stanley Cup Final when they beat Ebbie Goodfellow’s Red Wings. Take a bow Syl Apps!

Of course, the Lightning still has a ways to go before they can match the Leafs. That doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Unfortunately, they’ll never be able to match Toronto in one spot: the Leafs actually came back from a 3-0 series deficit. Oh well. I’m sure no one in Tampa Bay would begrudge the comeback anyway.

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Ondrej Palat’s clutch late goal in Game 5 helps the Lightning stave off Stanley Cup Final elimination

Heroics from Ondrej Palat keep the Lightning alive for another day!

Ondrej Palat has a habit of scoring big-time goals for the Tampa Bay Lightning and there was no bigger than his third period tally in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final.

On Friday, the Lightning were facing down elimination against the Colorado Avalanche, who held a 3-1 lead in the Stanley Cup Final headed back into their home rink. After the big blowouts and controversial endings, Game 5 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final was a more back-and-forth affair, with the Lightning holding 1-0 and 2-1 leads before the Avalanche fought back to tie the game each time.

However, tied 2-2 with under six and a half minutes remaining, Palat scored the biggest goal of his career past Darcy Kuemper to give the Lightning the lead once more.

Palat was left wide open in front of the net by Colorado’s defense and was able to sneak that shot through Kuemper for the 3-2 game winner. Talk about taking advantage of a soft Avalanche defensive coverage and Kuemper’s inability to keep his pads on that puck.

Thanks to Palat’s clutch tally, the Lightning live to see another day as the series swings back to Tampa Bay on Sunday with the Avalanche leading 3-2. The Lightning still have to win two more games to threepeat as Stanley Cup champions, but their road got just a bit easier thanks to Palat’s heroics.

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Conn Smythe rankings, Stanley Cup Final Game 5: Cale Makar in line for more greatness

The NHL’s leading superstar defenseman will likely get even more flowers.

After the high adrenaline, controversial mess that was Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final, Friday night at Ball Arena will mark the first time the Cup will be in the building for someone to take home.

That team is, of course, the Colorado Avalanche, which holds a commanding 3-1 series lead after its contentious overtime winner. Should Colorado dispatch the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Friday, they will have won their first Stanley Cup in over two decades. I can practically feel the goosebumps forming on my forearms.

With the Avs on the brink of such greatness, the underlying debate over who is most responsible for their playoff success will only heat up through the evening. Odds-makers with Tipico Sportsbook have a clear idea about a certain Colorado defenseman, but by no means are his teammates out of the picture for the postseason MVP award.

Let’s examine the current odds for the Conn Smythe with the Avalanche one win away from the Cup.

Jon Cooper thinks Avalanche Game 4 OT winner shouldn’t have counted, and he might be right

All evidence seems to point to too many men on the ice.

With their season presumably on the line without a tied 2-2 series, the Lightning laid it all out against the Avalanche (-105) in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night. Tampa Bay scored a goal 36 seconds in and peppered Colorado netminder Darcy Kuemper with shots (37 saves) throughout the night.

It was apparent the two-time defending Cup champions came to play. Unfortunately, the officiating on the ice might not have brought their A-game.

After a scintillating and tense regulation period, Colorado’s Nazem Kadri scored a mystifying goal to give the Avalanche a 3-2 win and a 3-1 series lead. The hometown fans at Amalie Arena were stunned, as were the Lightning.

But did Kadri actually score a legal, back-breaking, game-winning goal?

According to Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper: No.

Huh? Jon, you can’t throw out accusations like that all willy-nilly without an explanation.

Does anyone have any thoughts on Cooper’s reference?

Oh. Oh, no. If true, that’s simply an officiating mishap that cannot happen at this stage of the season.

“Investigators” on Twitter took to clip-by-clip frames to see if they could back up Cooper’s claims. At first glance, the results were astounding.

Conn Smythe rankings, Stanley Cup Final Game 4: Nazem Kadri plays hero, but can he unseat Cale Makar?

The Avs and one of their talismans are one win away from history.

When the Stanley Cup Final between the Lightning and Avalanche (-105) started, we expected a back-and-forth barnburner. The NHL’s Next Big Thing (Colorado) and the two-time defending champs (Tampa Bay). An actual matchup between titans of hockey.

With a mystifying 3-2 overtime win for the Avalanche and now a 3-1 series lead — even despite a strong Lightning start — this series shifts back to Denver with a different expectation:

An outright Colorado victory in a quick and largely painless five games.

As the Avs close in on their first Stanley Cup in over two decades, the NHL (and voters) may soon reveal who they feel is most responsible for the championship win. That player will be rewarded Conn Smythe for playoff MVP, and I feel great about who it will be in the end.

The Lightning aren’t out of it until they’ve lost four times, but at this stage: it’s only fair to think about. Here are the Conn Smythe rankings after Game 4 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.

Avalanche’s Nazem Kadri scores mystifying Game 4 Stanley Cup Final OT winner to push Lightning to the brink

Who else but Nazem Kadri?

Welcome back, Nazem Kadri!

After missing the first few games of the Stanley Cup Final due to an injury, Kadri made his triumphant return to the Colorado Avalanche lineup on Wednesday and scored the most important goal of his hockey career. In overtime of Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning, Kadri scored quite the chaotic goal to win the game 3-2 for the visitors and officially put the back-to-back champions on the brink.

With eight minutes left in the overtime period, Kadri threw a deadly shot on net at Andrei Vasilevskiy, who seemed to have saved the puck at first glance. However, Kadri and the Avalanche started celebrating on the ice for the game-winner, as the puck actually went through Vasilevskiy and got stuck in the top of the net.

It’s undoubtably a goal, and quite the chaotic one at that.

What a moment for Kadri, and what a goal too! Despite the initial confusion, the Avalanche now lead the Lightning in the series 3-1 with Game 5 in Colorado on Friday night to possibly close it out against the back-to-back champions.

That has to feel good for Kadri, who has dealt with quite a lot these playoffs, from being the subject of a childish water bottle toss from Jordan Binnington to dealing with racist fans in the second round of the playoffs. And now, it seems as if Kadri has gotten the last laugh here!

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Lightning scored controversial Game 4 goal after Darcy Kuemper lost helmet and fans weren’t happy

It turns out goalies aren’t completely protected in the crease.

The Lightning entered Wednesday’s Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Avalanche on a mission. With a win against Colorado (-105), the two-time defending Cup winners could tie the series at two games apiece and turn the NHL’s championship round into a de facto best of three.

It’s hard to argue that Tampa Bay could’ve gotten off to a better start, as Anthony Cirelli scored a goal 36 seconds into the game to make it 1-0. Given that Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper lost his helmet in the initial chaos of the goal, one might have argued whether the goal should have actually counted:

Oh no. It’s never great to see a goalie have their face exposed while facing rocket-like shots. Officials were obligated to protect Kuemper and blow the play (and goal) dead, right?

Wrong.

There you have it. Provided the opposing team didn’t take the goalie’s mask off with one of their sticks (in this case, it appears it was a shot/puck that did it): Officials won’t wipe an impending scoring chance off the board because a goalie doesn’t have their mask.

Fans on hockey Twitter were confused and less than pleased by the ruling that put the Lightning in a pole 1-0 position and the Avalanche immediately behind the eight-ball.

Charles Barkley roasted Jayson Tatum during ESPN’s Stanley Cup Final broadcast and fans loved it

“I love you, Jayson Tatum. I’m just joking!”

Charles Barkley was on ESPN’s Stanley Cup Final broadcast for only a few minutes, but he had more than enough time to roast Jayson Tatum before he left.

Barkley joined ESPN’s halftime show to discuss Ondrej Palat’s incredible goal for the Lightning in the first period of Monday night’s Game 3, among other things. During his analysis of the gorgeous tally, which gave the Lightning their first lead of the series, Barkley couldn’t help but roast Boston Celtics star Tatum less than a week after the team’s NBA Finals loss.

The burn? Barkley compared the Avalanche’s turnover that led to the Lightning goal to Tatum’s antics with the Celtics.

“This is a regular old Jayson Tatum turnover,” Barkley said. “I’m sorry. I’m just joking… I love you, Jayson Tatum. I’m just joking!”

Ouch! But not untrue either, as Tatum finished the postseason with 100 turnovers to his name.

Barkley also had time on the broadcast to crack a few jokes about commissioner Gary Bettman as well!

Hockey fans, as expected, absolutely loved Barkley’s appearance and his roast of Tatum.

Ondrej Palat’s gorgeous goal in Game 3 gave the Lightning its first lead of the Stanley Cup Final

The back-to-back Stanley Cup champs are back in business!

It took over 130 minutes of hockey in the Stanley Cup Final for the Tampa Bay Lightning to take a lead.

The back-to-back Stanley Cup champions came into Monday night’s Game 3 against the Colorado Avalanche staring down a 2-0 series deficit and looking for a spark. After the Avalanche scored an early goal, the Lightning battled back to take a 2-1 lead — their first of the entire series — on Ondrej Palat’s perfect shot.

On the counterattack, Palat dropped a pass to Steven Stamkos in the offensive zone, then the Lightning captain feathered a pass back across the ice to the waiting goal scorer. The Avalanche were so preoccupied with Stamkos that they left Palat wide open in front of the net, who went top shelf on Darcy Kuemper for the 2-1 lead.

What a gorgeous sequence of passes from that Lightning line, confusing the Avalanche and capitalizing with their incredible skill. That is the kind of play back-to-back Stanley Cup champions make!

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