Complex sentence: The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was the NHL championship series of the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs contested between the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion and Presidents' Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche.
Split into simpler sentences: The 2001 Stanley Cup Finals was the championship series of the National Hockey League's (NHL) 2000--01 season, and the culmination of the 2001 Stanley Cup playoffs. It was contested between the Eastern Conference champion and defending Stanley Cup champion New Jersey Devils and the Western Conference champion and Presidents' Trophy winning Colorado Avalanche.