The Tampa Bay Lightning are champions of the NHL for a second straight year, defeating the Canadiens in five games. The momentous feat was recognized by analysts and personalities across Twitter, who acknowledged the incredible nature of this 2021 Stanley Cup victory.
Tampa Bay had won a staggering 62 games in 2018-19 before being swept by the Blue Jackets in the first round. Since then, the Lightning have effectively been untouchable in the playoffs. Pierre LeBrun, a staff member of The Athletic, highlighted this: “The 62-win Lightning of 2018-19 got swept by Columbus in the first round. Since then, Tampa Bay has won eight straight playoff series, never trailed in a series, never lost back-to-back playoff games en route to winning back-to-back Stanley Cup championships. That’s something.”
The Stanley Cup win could not have been accomplished without the stalwart effort in the cage by Andrei Vasilevskiy. Vasilevskiy won the Conn Smyth Trophy, only allowing eight goals through the five games against Montreal.
Many mused that Tampa purposely lost their fourth game in Montreal, so they could seal the Stanley Cup victory in Tampa Bay in the fifth matchup. Once this came true, Tampa Bay Mayor Jane Castor claimed she was the one who spurred this happening. “Now didn’t I tell you all that winning at home would feel great?!” she tweeted.
With the win, the Lightning are looking to become the first team since the 1980-1983 Islanders to win the Stanley Cup at least three straight times.
