Seguin: Bubble life ‘hardest time of our lives as professional athletes’

Aside from bonding with his teammates, Dallas Stars forward Tyler Seguin admitted bubble life in Edmonton for the duration of the Stanley Cup Playoffs was a grind unlike he’s ever experienced.

“(It was) the biggest grind and the hardest time of our lives as professional athletes, and also the most fun,” Seguin told NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. “We had so much fun – that’s kind of why it’s so disappointing – on this run. It’s fun being on this stage. A lot of guys in this league or this business don’t have that opportunity to feel this pressure, and we had a lot of fun with it, so it was great.

“But other than that, there’s nothing positive you’re going to take from the bubble life. It definitely (stunk) and I think we’re all looking forward to seeing family and friends now.”

Players reported to their respective bubbles July 26, and the Stars’ run ended Monday night – over two full months later – as they lost the Stanley Cup Final in Game 6 to the Tampa Bay Lightning.

Seguin finished the postseason with 13 points in 26 games. It was the third time in franchise history the Stars had reached the finals.

Tampa to hold boat parade for Stanley Cup celebration

The Tampa Bay Lightning‘s celebration with the Stanley Cup will likely look different than usual.

The team will host a boat parade along the city’s Riverwalk and Hillsborough River at 5 p.m. on Wednesday to celebrate the Cup win. Fans are encouraged to gather safely along the Riverwalk.

“The Stanley Cup is once again coming home to Tampa, and we could not be more proud of the Tampa Bay Lightning for embodying the resilient, fighting spirit of the Tampa Bay community and for bringing the Cup home,” Tampa Bay mayor Jane Castor said.

“Despite every challenge this past year, Tampa continues to ensure that our comeback is even greater than any setback. Thank you to our team for working hard, playing hard, and giving our community something to celebrate. We cannot wait for Stanley to get than tan.”

There will also be a celebration at Raymond James Stadium at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, with socially distant pod seating available.

This victory marks the second time the Lightning have claimed the Stanley Cup, last winning in 2004.

Hedman wins Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman claimed the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player of the Stanley Cup Playoffs following his club’s title-clinching victory over the Dallas Stars on Monday night.

In one of the closest Conn Smythe races ever, Hedman edged out teammate Brayden Point by a margin of 70 points to 66 among the 18 voting members of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

Hedman received nine first-place votes, eight second-place nods, and one third-place vote. Point earned eight first-place nods, eight for second, and two for third. Nikita Kucherov placed third in the voting, garnering a lone first-place vote, two second-place nods, and 14 third-place votes.

Hedman led all blue-liners with 10 playoff goals and ranked fifth among all skaters with 22 postseason points.

The 29-year-old entered Game 6 leading all skaters still competing in postseason ice time, averaging over 26 minutes per contest.

Hedman scored seven of his 10 markers at even strength, and three of his goals were game-winners.

The imposing rearguard was a finalist for the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s top defenseman in 2019-20 after racking up 55 points in 66 regular-season games while averaging 24:04 in ice time. He won that award in 2018.

Lightning win Stanley Cup after shutting out Stars in Game 6

The Tampa Bay Lightning are the 2020 Stanley Cup champions.

Tampa Bay defeated the Dallas Stars 2-0 in Game 6 on Monday to end the series. Lightning forward Brayden Point scored the game-winning goal, while goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy recorded a 22-save shutout. Forward Blake Coleman scored Tampa’s second goal of the game.

The Lightning won three straight against the Stars after dropping Game 1. After losing in double-overtime in Game 5, they bounced back to control Game 6 and claim the franchise’s second title.

Lightning winger Nikita Kucherov finished the postseason with a team-leading 34 points in 25 games, while Point had 33 points in 23 games. Defenseman Victor Hedman won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after racking up 10 goals and 22 points in 25 contests.

Stamkos out for remainder of Stanley Cup Final

Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos is unavailable for the remainder of the Stanley Cup Final, head coach Jon Cooper announced Sunday.

Stamkos suited up for Game 3 of his club’s series versus the Dallas Stars – his only appearance of the postseason. He made the most of it, scoring a laser of a goal while logging just 2:47 of ice time across five shifts in the Tampa victory.

“Hopefully the next time you see him on the ice is during a trophy presentation,” Cooper said, per Stephen Whyno of The Associated Press.

Stamkos missed time during the regular season due to core muscle surgery and has been dealing with a lower-body injury since the Lightning reconvened in July.

The Lightning currently lead the Stanley Cup Final 3-2 with Game 6 scheduled for Monday night.

Pavelski sets record for career playoff goals by U.S.-born player

“Captain America” reigns supreme.

Joe Pavelski‘s tying goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final puts him solely in first place on the all-time list of American playoff scorers.

The Dallas Stars forward’s late equalizer, his second in as many nights, was his 61st postseason marker in 160 career playoff games. He passed Joe Mullen, who netted 60 in 143 playoff contests.

Pavelski eclipsed Mike Modano’s total of 58 and tied Mullen with a pair of goals during the Stars’ overtime loss in Game 4 on Friday. The 36-year-old replied, “Keep it, next question,” when asked about the record following the defeat.

The veteran forward still had other priorities on his mind after Dallas’ 3-2 double-overtime victory Saturday.

Pavelski’s 13th goal of the 2019-20 postseason ties Lightning star Brayden Point for the NHL lead – though Pavelski has played four more contests.

Game 6 is scheduled for Monday at 8 p.m. ET.

Hedman becomes 3rd blue-liner to score 10-plus goals in single postseason

Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman entered rarified air Wednesday night.

The 2018 Norris Trophy winner scored his 10th goal of the playoffs against the Dallas Stars to join Hall of Famers Paul Coffey and Brian Leetch as the only blue-liners in NHL history to record 10-plus tallies in a single postseason, according to StatsCentre. Coffey set the record during the 1985 playoffs with 12 goals while Leetch potted 11 in 1994.

Hedman’s marker put the Lightning up 3-1 just moments into the second period and stood as the eventual game-winner in the 5-2 victory in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final.

The 6-foot-6 Swede is now tied for second in goals this postseason, trailing only teammate Brayden Point, who notched his 11th on Wednesday.

Hedman has tallied a career-best 20 playoff points through 22 games so far this postseason.

Lightning advance to Stanley Cup Final with Game 6 OT win over Isles

Anthony Cirelli scored in overtime to send the Tampa Bay Lightning to the Stanley Cup Final with a 2-1 victory over the New York Islanders in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference final Thursday night.

Cirelli returned in the third after injuring his right knee in the second. Trade deadline pickup Barclay Goodrow set him up for the goal 13:18 into overtime.

Tampa Bay ended each of its three series victories in overtime and goes on to face the Dallas Stars for the title. Only New York lasted more than five games, pushing the Lightning to their limits before their talented core got them into the final.

They’re four wins from the Cup despite being without captain Steven Stamkos all postseason and missing top center Brayden Point for two games against the Islanders. They can thank defenseman Victor Hedman for scoring his ninth goal of the playoffs, Nikita Kucherov for playing 28:22 and Andrei Vasilveskiy making 26 saves while his teammates peppered Islanders goaltender Semyon Varlamov with 48 shots.

Hedman, Kucherov, Vasilevskiy and Co. are back in the final for the first time since 2015. Tampa Bay is trying to win its first championship since 2004.

It wasn’t easy getting to this point against an opponent willing to rope-a-dope, block shots and wait to pounce on chances. The Islanders got their break in Game 5 to prolong the series when Tampa Bay defenseman Kevin Shattenkirk fanned on a shot to pave the way for Jordan Eberle’s double-overtime goal, but they were on the wrong side of it Thursday.

The Islanders scored first for the fifth consecutive game when Devon Toews beat Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy to the far post on a wraparound goal 4:15 in. In a playoffs full of defensemen scoring, it’s Toews’ second goal, though replays showed seven Islanders players on the ice with what should have been a too many men penalty before he scored.

Fittingly, Tampa Bay’s top defenseman tied it less than two minutes later. Victor Hedman skated to the net somehow unmarked and buried a juicy rebound – one of the few Varlamov gave up all game. Hedman’s ninth goal of the postseason, which counts three round-robin games, tied him with Bobby Orr and Brad Park for the most in a single playoffs by a defenseman.

”He’s the best I’ve ever seen him play,” forward Alex Killorn said about Hedman. ”He’s showing up in big moments here in the playoffs.”

With an assist on Hedman’s goal, Nikita Kucherov moved into the playoff scoring lead with 26 points.

While the Islanders went 12 minutes without a shot on goal from late in the first period until midway through the second, the Lightning got an injury scare later in the period. Cirelli collided knee-on-knee with Anders Lee when the Islanders captain tried to exit the offensive zone and went airborne. Cirelli skated off gingerly and favored his right knee walking down the tunnel but returned for the third and was the OT hero.

Tampa Bay got Point back after he missed Games 3 and 5 with injury. Point played through obvious pain in Game 6, occasionally using a massage device on the bench between shifts.

The Lightning advanced despite failing to score on five power plays, including a double-minor on Andy Greene for high-sticking Kucherov with 23 seconds left in regulation that carried into overtime.

NOTES: Tampa Bay improved to 10-1 in one-goal games and 6-1 in overtime this postseason. … Varlamov’s 46 saves were a playoff career high. … With Point back, Carter Verhaeghe was scratched. … Adam Pelech was ruled unfit to play, and Noah Dobson made his NHL playoff debut in his place with the Islanders again dressing seven defensemen. Dobson, who last played in exhibition action in late July, became the first player born in the 2000s to dress for the Islanders in a playoff game.

UP NEXT

Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Western Conference-champion Dallas Stars is Saturday night.

DeBoer doesn’t regret playing Lehner over Fleury

Vegas Golden Knights head coach Peter DeBoer stands by his decision to play Robin Lehner instead of Marc-Andre Fleury as his team’s starting goaltender in the postseason.

“We made that tough decision and I don’t regret that,” DeBoer told NHL.com’s Danny Webster.

Lehner was stellar throughout the playoffs, and also Fleury performed admirably in his limited opportunities.

STAT	LEHNER	FLEURY
Rec.	9-7	3-1
GAA	1.99	2.27
SV%	.917	.910
GSAA	0.24	-0.65

“Robin played at an elite level, and Flower played at a very good level,” DeBoer said.

Lehner wasn’t at his best, though, in the five-game series loss in the Western Conference Final against the Dallas Stars. After recording a 24-save shutout in Game 2, Lehner posted an .884 save percentage in Games 3, 4, and 5.

DeBoer was criticized by Fleury’s agent, Allan Walsh, earlier in the postseason for choosing Lehner as the starter. Walsh tweeted out an image that implied DeBoer stabbed Fleury in the back. The netminders said they have a great relationship, though.

Lehner is a pending unrestricted free agent and recently denied a report that suggested he and the Golden Knights agreed on a five-year extension, according to Nick Cotsonika of NHL.com. Fleury is signed for two more seasons at an average annual value of $7 million.

Stars advance to Stanley Cup Final with OT win over Golden Knights

The Dallas Stars finished off the Vegas Golden Knights in Game 5 on Monday night to advance to their first Stanley Cup Final since 2000.

Stars forward Denis Gurianov scored on the power play in overtime to seal the 3-2 comeback victory. The opportunity came after Golden Knights blue-liner Zach Whitecloud took a delay of game penalty when he shot the puck over the glass in the defensive zone.

Vegas held a 2-0 lead early in the third period before Stars captain Jamie Benn cut the advantage in half. Round 2 hero Joel Kiviranta netted the equalizer in the dying minutes of the final frame to send the game to overtime.

Dallas netminder Anton Khudobin made 34 stops on the night, strengthening his case to be a Conn Smythe candidate at 34 years old.

The Stars will participate in their third Stanley Cup Final in franchise history. They defeated the Buffalo Sabres in 1999, then fell to the New Jersey Devils one year later.

Dallas awaits the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning-New York Islanders series, which Tampa currently leads 3-1.