Colorado Avalanche win first Stanley Cup title since 2001 - CNN

(CNN) The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 to win the team's first Stanley Cup since 2001 on Sunday night. It's the team's third Stanley Cup title overall.

With the score tied 1-1 a little over halfway through the second period, Avalanche winger Artturi Lehkonen scored the game-deciding goal.

Colorado Avalanche players celebrate after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Lightning won the last two Stanley Cups in 2020 and 2021.

Avalanche defenseman and 2021-2022 Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as the most valuable player throughout the playoffs after scoring 29 points in the postseason.

"I was trying not to look at the clock too much. Just trying to stay in the moment." Makar said after the game.

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NHL playoffs picks: 2022 first round and Stanley Cup predictions

Will the Tampa Bay Lightning take their first step toward a third consecutive Stanley Cup or will the Toronto Maple Leafs pick up their first playoff series win since 2004?

Will the Edmonton Oilers get their first playoff win since Todd McLellan coached the team or will McLellan's Los Angeles Kings stop them?

Can the West-leading Colorado Avalanche bounce back from a 1-5-1 finish to the season? Will the Florida Panthers be the first Presidents' Trophy winner since 2013 to win a Cup?

Those are among the questions that will be answered when the NHL playoffs get underway on Monday night.

USA TODAY Sports' NHL experts predict the winners for the first round and the Stanley Cup:

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NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:Dates, times, television and results

PLAYOFFS:One major question for each postseason team

NHL AWARD PICKS:MVP race is loaded with possibilities; Igor Shesterkin a lock for Vezina?

Jimmy Hascup

Florida vs. Washington: Panthers in five. The best team in the regular season will have no problems taking down a team that is too reliant on one player, Alex Ovechkin, (yes, an all-time great) to carry the offense.

Carolina vs. Boston: Bruins in seven. In a battle of two of the best coaches, Boston gets the nod because of Patrice Bergeron still being at the height of his powers and a more stable goalie situation.

Toronto vs. Tampa Bay: Lightning in six. Tampa Bay played this season like a team that knew it could make the playoffs without playing its best but would ramp up again in the postseason.

N.Y. Rangers vs. Pittsburgh: Rangers in six. The Rangers lost the first meeting with the Penguins then won the next three and just seem to be a more complete team.

Colorado vs. Nashville: Avalanche in five. There seems to be too much doubt about goalie Juuse Saros' playoff availability and missing him will sink Nashville even quicker in this series.

Calgary vs. Dallas: Flames in five. The Stars are too reliant on the Joe Pavelski-Jason Robertson-Roope Hintz line and haven't shown enough secondary scoring to compensate against a deeper Calgary team.

Minnesota vs. St. Louis: Blues in seven. The Wild had more points (113-109) but the Blues had six more regulation wins (43-37), and I like their defensive depth more.

Edmonton vs. Los Angeles: Kings in seven. Perhaps the most lopsided series on paper, what's the NHL playoffs without some chaos to start? Los Angeles is better than you think.

Stanley Cup Final: Panthers vs. Flames

Champion: Panthers in six. Florida has a well-rounded team with elite players (Jonathan Huberdeau, Aleksander Barkov, Aaron Ekblad), dangerous depth, a strong defensive core and a goalie (Sergei Bobrovsky) who had a strong season (and depth there, too, if he struggles).

Conn Smythe winner: Aleksander Barkov, Panthers.

Mike Brehm

Florida vs. Washington: Panthers in five: The Panthers are a deep, powerful team and the Capitals will have trouble shutting them down, especially with their inconsistent goaltending.

Carolina vs. Boston: Hurricanes in seven. Both are well-coached and it will come down to Carolina coach Rod Brind'Amour having home ice for Game 7.

Toronto vs. Tampa Bay: Lightning in six. The Lightning's offense is back on track. They won't romp like they did in a recent 8-1 win vs. Toronto, but their championship pedigree will win out.

N.Y. Rangers vs. Pittsburgh: Rangers in six. Rangers No. 1 goalie Igor Shesterkin will win the Vezina Trophy. Penguins No. 1 goalie Tristan Jarry is hurt.

Colorado vs. Nashville: Avalanche in six. It will be fun to watch Norris Trophy candidates Roman Josi and Cale Makar. The Avalanche will be healthier than the team that stumbled down the stretch.

Calgary vs. Dallas: Flames in five. Goalie Jake Oettinger might get the Stars a win in Dallas. But two-time Stanley Cup-winning coach Darryl Sutter has had the Flames playing playoff hockey.

Minnesota vs. St. Louis: Blues in seven. This will be the best series of the first round. The Blues' offense has several lines that can hurt an opponent, and Minnesota's Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno are coming off injuries.

Edmonton vs. Los Angeles: Oilers in six. The Oilers will be keen to make up for last year's playoff embarrassment and coach Jay Woodcroft has them playing to their potential.

Stanley Cup Final: Avalanche vs. Hurricanes

Champion: Avalanche in six. This is the third consecutive season that I picked the Avalanche. They addressed their weaknesses at the trade deadline. If they can just get past the second round, they will win it all.

Conn Smythe winner: Cale Makar, Avalanche

Jace Evans

Florida vs. Washington: Panthers in five. The Capitals' unsettled goaltending situation seems like a major liability against the best offense in the NHL.

Carolina vs. Boston: Hurricanes in seven. This is a true toss-up series and though I worry about the Hurricanes' goaltending to an extent, their system is so sound as to help alleviate those worries.

Toronto vs. Tampa Bay: Lightning in seven. I have been burned too many times by the Maple Leafs to trust them to get their first series win since 2004 against the two-time defending champs.

N.Y. Rangers vs. Pittsburgh: Rangers in six. The Penguins have plenty of playoff experience but they'll be without their All-Star goalie for at least the beginning of the series while the Rangers have the best goaltender in the NHL by far this season.

Colorado vs. Nashville: Avalanche in four. I'm not worried about their closing stretch of play: The Avalanche were a machine most of this season and they have taken care of business in the first round three years in a row.

Calgary vs. Dallas: Flames in five. The Stars are the only team in the playoffs with a negative goal differential. The Flames' plus-85 trailed only the Presidents' Trophy-winning Panthers for the best mark in the NHL.

Minnesota vs. St. Louis: Wild in seven. The Wild have a true superstar in Kirill Kaprizov and home ice. Marc-Andre Fleury is also 9-2 since coming over to Minnesota.

Edmonton vs. Los Angeles: Oilers in six. Edmonton is hardly a pillar of consistency thanks to shaky goaltending and questionable depth, but the Oilers have two of the best offensive players in the league and the Kings are missing their No. 1 defenseman.

Stanley Cup Final: Flames vs. Lightning

Champion: Lightning in six. In a rematch of the 2004 Stanley Cup Final, Tampa Bay will cement its place as an all-time great team and remove all talk of "asterisk championships" with a third consecutive title. The Lightning are deep, talented and – most important – they know what it takes to win.

Conn Smythe winner: Nikita Kucherov, Lightning

NHL playoffs: Lightning beat Rangers, head to Stanley Cup Final

The Tampa Bay Lightning are heading to the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive season and the reward is starting on the road again against the Western Conference’s top regular-season team.

The way the two-time defending champions beat the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 will help them when they face the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, ABC).

Captain Steven Stamkos scored two goals, the second just 21 seconds after the Rangers had tied the game in the third period.

"We don’t care how it gets done, it just needs to get done," he told reporters after the game. "I’m very proud of this group. We’re going to the Finals again and have a chance to do something special.”

Stamkos opened the scoring in Saturday's goaltending battle when his wrist shot eluded a partially screened Igor Shesterkin at 10:43 of the second period.

STANLEY CUP FINAL:Schedule, TV info for the NHL's championship round

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Stamkos was in the penalty box when New York's Frank Vatrano tied the game on a power play at 13:07 of the third period.

But Stamkos scored on the next shift on a 2-on-1 break when the rebound of his shot went in off his leg.

"Obviously a little disappointed in myself for taking the penalty," he said. "You see them score and you're in the box. It was weird. For some reason, I wasn't as rattled as I usually am in those situations. I was just confident in our group that we'd find a way, whether it was in regulation or in overtime. We deserved to win tonight."

Shesterkin complained but the goal survived a review.

"It's not the individuals," Stamkos said. "It's great to score a couple goals in a huge game like this, but if I didn't score and we won, I'd be just as happy. ... We know that everyone in our room plays a huge part in our group success."

Shesterkin, a finalist for the Vezina and Hart trophies, made 28 saves as he fell short in his bid to improve to 6-0 in elimination games this postseason.

"I thought Igor was outstanding," Rangers coach Gerard Gallant said. "He gave us a chance to win every night and we got outchanced in a lot of the games, but he was outstanding. He was our best player all year long and did it again in this series."

Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves and was aided by 17 blocked shots by defenders.

The fact that the Lightning were able to hold the Rangers to one goal in each of the last three games bodes well as they prepare to face the high-flying Avalanche.

“There’s no secret that they have some electric players,” Stamkos said. “To be honest, they’re probably a team that we thought we’d play the last couple years. … Now they’ve broken through and they have just an unbelievable mix of veteran presence, star power, grinders, the goalie. A huge challenge for us.”

The Lightning are trying to become the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83.

Though the Lightning have lacked home-ice advantage throughout the playoffs, they beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games, swept the No. 1 overall seed Florida Panthers and beat the Rangers in six. They rallied in the Eastern Conference final after losing the first two games, including 6-2 in Game 1 after a long layoff.

“As the series progressed, we got better and better, and I think maybe tonight might have been our best game overall,” forward Alex Killorn said.

Lightning's Victor Hedman temporarily leaves game

Victor Hedman was pulled out of the game in the second period when Alexis Lafrenière caught him in the head with a check. The defenseman, who is a Norris Trophy finalist for the fifth consecutive season, grabbed his head and broke his stick as he returned to the bench.

Hedman rubbed his jaw as he sat on the bench and had to go to the dressing room, presumably because of concussion protocol.

But he returned to action in the third period and played a regular shift.

Rangers' Kaapo Kakko a healthy scratch

Gallant had limited the use of the Kid Line during the team's loss in Game 5.

In Game 6, he sat out Kaapo Kakko and moved the other two members of the Kid Line to other lines. Lafrenière started alongside Mika Zibanejad and Vatrano and Filip Chytil was on a line with Chris Kreider and Barclay Goodrow, though the lines changed up later.

Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick in 2019, has five points in 19 playoff games. Forward Brayden Hunt made his third appearance of his postseason and first since the first round.

New York's Ryan Strome, who has been playing through an injury, left warmups briefly but dressed for the game. He didn't play in the third period.

Lightning center Brayden Point, who was injured in the first round, sat out again, though he is skating.

"I don't know about the probability of Game 1, but it's extremely probable that he will play in the series," coach Jon Cooper said.

NHL playoffs: Avalanche sweep Oilers, reach Stanley Cup Final

The Colorado Avalanche reached the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since their 2001 championship on Monday, shredding their reputation of a highly talented team that disappointed in the playoffs.

They staged a furious third-period comeback and won in overtime on a goal by trade deadline acquisition Artturi Lehkonen to sweep the Edmonton Oilers with a 6-5 victory in Game 4. Lehkonen, then with Montreal, also got the Canadiens into the Final last season with an overtime goal.

The Avalanche will face the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning-New York Rangers series. The Rangers lead the best-of-seven Eastern Conference final 2-1 with Game 4 on Tuesday (8 p.m. ET, ESPN) in Tampa.

Colorado overcame deficits of 3-1 and 4-2 on goals by Devon Toews, Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen to go ahead before Zack Kassian forced overtime. Cale Makar, who scored in the first period, had four assists, including on Lehkonen's winner.

Though the Avalanche stars dominated in regulation of Game 4, it was moves made at the trade deadline that helped turn Colorado into Western Conference champions.

General manager Joe Sakic, the captain of the 2001 team, acquired defenseman Josh Manson to add grit on the blue line and brought in forwards Lehkonen, Nico Sturm and Andrew Cogliano to aid the penalty killing.

Lehkonen had two assists to go with his winner. Cogliano had a key block Monday night but appeared to hurt his hand on the play.

The newcomers joined stars MacKinnon, Makar, Landeskog and Rantanen to form a powerhouse that needed 14 games to get past the Nashville Predators, St. Louis Blues and Oilers.

And the depth helped them survive key injuries. Defenseman Sam Girard was hurt in the second round and No. 2 center Nazem Kadri missed Game 4 after being shoved into the boards in Game 3, which cost Oilers forward a one-game suspension.

TSN reported that Kadri had thumb surgery and his status for the Cup Final is uncertain.

"Naz has been one of our best players all season, clutch guy," MacKinnon told TNT. "Hoping he's doing well and we'll get him back next series."

BRUINS:Coach Bruce Cassidy fired after first-round exit

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Rangers hopeful two forwards can play in Game 4

The Rangers came out of Sunday's 3-2 loss in Game 3 with their center depth ailing, but head coach Gerard Gallant is hopeful that neither Barclay Goodrow nor Ryan Strome will miss any time.

Strome's lower-body injury came on his first shift of the second period, as he was lightly shoved from behind by Lightning forward Ondrej Palat and appeared to awkwardly plant on his right leg. He came out for one more 36-second shift, but could not continue beyond that.

"He should be fine," Gallant said following Monday's optional practice at Amalie Arena. "We'll see (Tuesday). ... But we fully expect him to play."

Goodrow was hurt during the third period when he blocked a shot from Victor Hedman.

Despite the obvious pain, the 29-year-old went to the locker room and was back on the ice for his next shift just 2:23 later.

"It hurt a little bit, but Barclay's a competitor," Gallant said. "He comes back and plays. That's what he does."

Jets' Kyle Connor wins Lady Byng Trophy

Winnipeg Jets forward Kyle Connor has won the Lady Byng Trophy, given to the NHL’s most gentlemanly player.

The league announced the honor Monday night before Game 4 of the Western Conference final.

Connor tied for the second-fewest number of minor penalties during the regular season. He was penalized just twice in more than 1,700 minutes of ice time that included regular short-handed shifts and matchups against top offensive opponents.

It’s his first time winning the Lady Byng. Last year’s winner, Carolina defenseman Jaccob Slavin, was second in voting by the Professional Hockey Writer Association. Minnesota captain Jared Spurgeon was third.

Contributing: Vincent Z. Mercogliano, Northjersey.com; Associated Press

2022 Olympics: Former NHL players, Cup winners on hockey rosters

Eric Staal, who won a gold medal with Canada in 2010 and didn't go in 2014, had little chance of making the 2022 team. He was an unsigned free agent and Canada has enough talent to field multiple teams of NHL players.

But his fortunes changed when the NHL dropped out of the Olympics in December amid a surge in COVID-19 cases.

Now, the 2003 No. 2 overall pick will be one of the key players as Team Canada's captain tries to help his country improve on its 2018 bronze medal and win gold for the third time in the last four Olympics.

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"When you think of Team Canada, you think of a guy like Eric Staal," general manager Shane Doan said. "I think that gives credibility to the group, and I think he's somebody we're going to count on for his leadership and lots of parts of his game."

Staal, 37, won a Stanley Cup with the Carolina Hurricanes in 2006, was the team's captain for seven seasons and had 1,034 points in 1,293 games with five teams over 17 seasons. He went to the Final with the Montreal Canadiens last season.

He had kept skating in a bid to land an NHL contract and played four games for the AHL Iowa Wild so Team Canada management could watch him. He impressed Doan with his play and an overtime goal.

“Sometimes an opportunity like this just kind of comes and falls into your lap and you need to cherish and relish the moment," Staal said. "For me, I’m prepared for it and excited for it."

Team Canada's Jason Demers, Daniel Winnik, David Desharnais and Josh Ho-Sang also have NHL experience.

A look at some other recognizable former NHL players in Beijing:

Forward David Krejci, 35, Czech Republic: The former Boston Bruins' No. 2 center returned to his native country during the offseason. He won a Stanley Cup with Boston in 2011 and had 730 points in 962 games. He's averaging close to a point a game in the Czech League. He also played in the 2010 and 2014 Olympics. Former NHLers Michael Frolik and Vladimir Sobotka also made the roster.

Valtteri Filppula, 37, Finland: He won a Stanley Cup with the Detroit Red Wings in 2008 and played more than 1,000 NHL games. He's averaging close to a point a game in the Swiss league. Former NHLers Sami Vatanen, Markus Granlund, Leo Komarov and Mikko Lehtonen also made the team.

Artem Anisimov, 33, Russia: He had four 20-goal seasons in the NHL and went to the 2012 conference finals with the New York Rangers. He's playing in the Kontinental Hockey League this season. This will be his second Olympics. Former NHLers Mikhail Grigorenko, Slava Voynov and Nikita Gusev also made the team for the defending Olympic gold medalists.

Frans Nielsen, 37, Denmark: He played 10 seasons with the New York Islanders and five with the Red Wings, scoring 25 goals in 2013-14. He's playing this season in Germany. Denmark has qualified for the Olympics for the first time. Former NHLer Mikkel Boedker also made the team.

Marcus Kruger, 31, Sweden: The role player and penalty killer played eight seasons with the Chicago Blackhawks — winning Stanley Cups in 2013 and 2015 — and one season with the Carolina Hurricanes. He won a silver medal in 2014 and is currently playing in Switzerland. Forwards Jacob de la Rose and Lucas Wallmark also played in the NHL.

Former NHL players for other countries:

USA: The American team chose to skew young with college players, but six have NHL experience, led by Nick Shore (299 games) and Steven Kampfer (231). Former Red Wings veteran Justin Abdelkader was named as an alternate.

Germany: Tobias Rieder played 478 NHL games and winger Tom Kuhnhackl won Stanley Cups with the Pittsburgh Penguins in 2016 and 2017.

Switzerland: Defensemen Yannick Weber, Raphael Diaz and Mirco Mueller combined for 885 NHL games, led by Weber's 499. Reto Berra was an NHL backup goalie.

Latvia: Forward Kaspars Daugavins has the most NHL experience with 91 games.

Slovakia: Defenseman Martin Marincin and forward Tomas Jurco combined for 448 NHL games.

China: The team consists of the KHL's Beijing-based Kunlun Red Star. Forward Brandon Yip has the most NHL experience at 174 games.

Stanley Cup Finals: Avalanche blow out Lightning for 2-0 series lead

DENVER – The two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning are well-schooled in the art of erasing deficits.

They came within 11 minutes of elimination by the Toronto Maple Leafs in the first round. They spotted two games to the New York Rangers to open the Eastern Conference final. Even in a Game 1 Stanley Cup Final loss to the Colorado Avalanche, they staggered in the face of a first-period barrage, but quickly pulled even before falling in overtime.

They will need another comeback – the most daunting one yet against their most talented opponent yet – if they are to become the first franchise in nearly 40 years to three-peat.

Such is the case after Colorado steamrolled to a 7-0 victory Saturday night at Ball Arena, putting the Lightning on the ropes in the opening minutes, on the mat by the middle of the second period and powering to a 2-0 lead in the series.

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“We’ve shown a propensity to push back for years. Tonight we didn’t,” Tampa Bay head coach Jon Cooper said. “If this becomes a common theme in the series, it will probably be a short one, but I never doubt the guys in the room. Does it suck losing a game like that? For sure. We’re not used to it. It doesn’t really happen to us. Is it going to happen at times? Yeah, it is. You just hope it doesn’t happen in the Stanley Cup Final.

“We’ve been able to circle the wagons and respond. Disappointed in the way the game went tonight, no question, but I’m not questioning our team. They’re ballers.”

Cooper certainly thought Saturday night would be a circle-the-wagons moment, saying less than two hours before the puck dropped that he was confident his team would play “a heck of a lot better” over the first 10 minutes than it did Wednesday night in this building, when the Lightning fell behind 2-0 quickly and trailed 3-1 after the first period.

Instead, veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh took a roughing penalty 61 seconds into the game and the Avalanche converted near the end of the power play when Valeri Nichushkin dove in front of the net and cashed in a pass from Game 1’s overtime hero Andre Burakovsky that went right through three on-looking Tampa defenders.

“It was all downhill from there,” Cooper said.

Indeed, Colorado dominated in every facet, opening up a 23-12 shots advantage through two periods, holding the Lightning to a fistful of real scoring opportunities and playing like the thoroughly superior group across the board.

“I thought it was exceptional,” Avs coach Jared Bednar said. “I thought our guys played hard right from the drop of the puck. Highly committed on the defensive side of things, dangerous offensively, tenacious on pucks, relentless puck pursuit and that was throughout our entire lineup.”

Nichushkin added another goal and an assist, while Burakovsky tallied a goal himself and another helper before leaving the game with an injury after just 7:51 of total ice time and 1:22 after the first period. Star defenseman Cale Makar added a shorthanded goal and a power-play goal in the third period for good measure.

The Avalanche again proved up to the task of beating Tampa Bay’s excellent goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, who got little in the way of help from his defense as Colorado dominated offensive zone time and peppered shots toward the net at will.

Even after a blowout loss in front of a frothing crowd in a city longing to return to the top of the hockey world, though, it is dangerous to count out the two-time defending champions.

“We’re not expecting that (margin of victory) to happen anymore,” Colorado forward Darren Helm said. “We’ve got to keep our foot on the gas. It’s going to be a lot tougher going into Tampa.”

Toronto could practically smell a first-round victory when, leading a first-round series 3-2, it poured in three consecutive second-period goals and carried a 3-2 lead into the third period of a potential put-away game. Instead Nikita Kucherov sent the game to overtime and Brayden Point delivered in overtime before Tampa forged a 2-1, Game 7 win.

Perhaps the Rangers also thought they had Tampa right where they wanted them, scoring nine goals in a pair of opening wins before watching Vasilevskiy find his form and surrender just five more over a powerful, four-game response from the Lightning.

“We’re in the playoffs and does it feel different? We lost one of the games 6-2 to the Rangers, we lost one 7-0 (tonight)," Cooper said. "They’re two completely different teams and two completely different series. The common factor is we’re down 0-2 to both of them. We’ve written one story, now we just have to write another. For me, it’s regardless of whether you win 7-0 or 4-3 in overtime, you still lose the game.”

Whether Colorado finishes the job and raises the Cup for the first time since 2001 remains to be seen, but this hole certainly feels deeper than the past ones for Tampa.

The Avalanche, after all, have speed and skill across the roster. They have premier players like Makar and Nathan MacKinnon, certainly, but this series has been about the likes of Nichushkin and Burakovsky, who have been too much for Tampa’s defense to handle.

“That’s been the story of our team pretty much all year,” Helm said of the lineup-wide contributions.

It’s been about Helm himself, who has racked up 22 hits through two games, won 5-of-7 faceoffs on Saturday and scored a goal on a breakaway.

“He’s playing to win,” Bednar said simply.

It’s been about goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who outside of one 48-second blip on Wednesday night, has turned in rock solid work in his return from injury.

It has not yet been about Nazem Kadri, the talented center without whom the Avs have built a 2-0 lead but who could return to action at some point in the series depending on how his surgically repaired thumb holds up to more intense on-ice work.

Regardless of who’s been in the lineup and who’s done the scoring over the past six-plus weeks, Colorado’s playoff performance at this point is undeniably dominant. The Avalanche are now 14-2 in the postseason overall and ride a seven-game winning streak to the Gulf Coast. Perhaps even more impressive: They have not yet lost away from Denver in the postseason. They staked their claim as the Western Conference’s best team in the regular season and have hardly showed signs of wavering in the playoffs.

“As you go along in the playoffs, even previous series, we’re still adapting and learning as a group,” Makar said. “For most of the guys, this is a new experience for them. So you learn from your mistakes, the things you give up in prior games, and then move forward. We learned from last game and wanted to keep that momentum, and we did our best to do that.”

Reminded of the experience discrepancy between the back-to-back champs and his team before Game 1, Bednar responded, “Obviously Tampa, third straight trip and they’ve been one of the top teams in the league for the better part of a decade, lots of experience, know how to win, we get it. …

“They may have more experience, but we’re here to try to prove that we’re the best team in the league. That’s where our mindset is at.”

They’ve dominated the series’ first periods. On the other bench is a talented side that’s been tough to kill.

If there is drama left in this series, it will likely have to begin Monday night in Tampa.

NHL playoff races: Golden Knights goalie Robin Lehner to have ...

The Vegas Golden Knights had denied an ESPN report last week that goaltender Robin Lehner would have season-ending surgery and he was the backup Sunday night.

Monday, though, the team announced that Lehner would have shoulder surgery and be out for the team's remaining games and the playoffs, if Vegas makes it.

"Robin has done his best to battle through this injury he sustained February 9, and we were hopeful that rest and rehab would allow him to complete the season," the team said in a statement. "He initially rehabbed and was able to return to play March 1. At times rest and rehab were effective, but ultimately Robin, in consultation with team medical staff, determined that this is the best course of action."

That will leave the Golden Knights' playoff bid in the hands of rookie goalie Logan Thompson, who has played well this season. The team recalled Jiri Patera.

Coach Peter DeBoer gave Thompson the start Sunday "based on performance," and the decision looked good. But the San Jose Sharks scored twice late in the third period and won in a shootout, complicating Vegas' path to the playoffs.

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"He shouldn't take anything hard," DeBoer said of Thompson. "I think he was really good tonight. I'm not sure any of those goals he could do a lot with."

DeBoer believes Thompson will bounce back.

"He's 25. He's won the best goaltender in the American (Hockey) League," DeBoer said. "He's been in situations like this where you lose and you have to bounce back the next night. I'm not worried about him. We've got a good room. I don't think there's one guy in that room that's pinning this on him."

The Golden Knights made it to the Stanley Cup Final their first season in 2017-18 and reached the playoffs every year since. They have a long shot to make it by clinching third in the Pacific Division (six points back), but their more likely path is a wild-card berth (three points back).

The NHL regular season, for all intents and purposes, ends on April 29, with a Seattle Kraken-Winnipeg Jets makeup game on May 1 having no impact in the playoff race.

Here is some of what is still up in the air:

Who gets the West's final spots?

The Golden Knights' point for their overtime loss kept the Los Angeles Kings (96 points and third in the Pacific) from clinching a playoff spot. The Kings still have a chance to finish second in the division and get home-ice advantage against the Edmonton Oilers.

The Nashville Predators also missed a chance to clinch, but picked up a point in an overtime loss to the Minnesota Wild to move into sole possession of the first wild-card spot.

The Golden Knights (90 points) and Dallas Stars (93) are battling for a spot, and the Vancouver Canucks (87) are still mathematically alive. If the Stars beat the Golden Knights in regulation on Tuesday night in Dallas, they'll make the playoffs.

Who will win the Metropolitan Division title?

The Carolina Hurricanes lead the New York Rangers by four points after Sunday's win against the New York Islanders. Carolina has the edge in regulation wins and has two games left. But the Hurricanes, already without goalie Frederik Andersen, lost Antti Raanta to a lower-body injury on Sunday. Sportsnet reported that Raanta merely had a cramping issue and is expected to dress for the next game. The Rangers, who have three games left, must win Tuesday's home game vs. the Hurricanes to have a chance.

Who gets home-ice advantage between the Wild and Blues?

That will be important because both teams are playing extremely well and could use an edge in their first-round series. Both won again Sunday to remain tied in points, with Minnesota's Kevin Fiala extending his point streak to 10 games and St. Louis' Robert Thomas extending his point streak to 17 games. The Wild wrap up the season with a three-game homestand. The Blues, who lead in regulation wins, finish against Colorado and Vegas.

Who wins first overall?

The Colorado Avalanche have lost four in a row after their nine-game winning streak ended last week. The Florida Panthers' 13-game winning streak ended Sunday, but they have a four-point lead and should wrap up the Presidents' Trophy soon.

Who avoids a first-round matchup against Florida?

The Panthers have wrapped up the Eastern Conference title and will face the second wild-card team. The Lightning took a big step toward making sure it won't be them by beating the Panthers on Sunday. The Lightning have 106 points, the Bruins have 103, the Penguins 101 and the Capitals 100.

The Capitals lost Alex Ovechkin to an upper-body injury Sunday when he crashed into the boards. He's day-to-day. The Penguins and Bruins, meanwhile, got key players back Saturday. Pittsburgh's Evgeni Malkin scored twice in his return from a four-game suspension and had an assist on Sunday. Boston's David Pastrnak had a goal and assist after an eight-game injury absence and Hampus Lindholm played more than 24 minutes after missing the previous seven games. Both were rested on Sunday.

The Lightning, Bruins and Capitals have three games left and the Penguins have two. The Bruins have the most regulation wins and the Capitals have the fewest regulation-overtime wins, the second tiebreaker.

Who gets last overall?

The last-place team has an 18.5% to win the May 10 draft lottery and take Kingston (Ontario) center Shane Wright first overall. The slumping Coyotes' point from an overtime loss to the Blues leaves them and the slumping Canadiens tied at 51 points. The Coyotes have three games left and the Canadiens have two. Montreal has fewer regulation wins.

Who will win MVP?

This will be tight. Edmonton's Connor McDavid won last year when he dominated the shortened season and teammate Leon Draisaitl won in 2020 by winning the scoring title while McDavid was hurt. Both are having strong seasons and could split the vote. Florida's Jonathan Huberdeau has a shot to win the scoring title and the Presidents' Trophy. Toronto's Auston Matthews, the NHL's goal leader at 58, is back from a minor injury and will get first-place votes if he hits 60 goals. Johnny Gaudreau has topped 100 points and helped Calgary go from missing the playoffs to Pacific Division champion. There even has been talk of support for Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin, who leads the league in goals-saved above expected, according to moneypuck.com, and fits the Hart Trophy's definition of most valuable to his team.

Who will win the Norris Trophy?

It's between Nashville's Roman Josi and Colorado's Cale Makar, who have set franchise records for points in a season by a defenseman. Josi leads in points (91-85) and Makar leads in goals (27-21), including six game-winners. The two will will face each other on Thursday. Josi won the award in 2020.

Who will win the Vezina Trophy?

Shesterkin seems to have the goaltending award wrapped up.

Who will win the Calder Trophy?

Toronto's Michael Bunting, 26, has the rookie points lead, but he left Saturday's game with an injury. Anaheim's Trevor Zegras has shown plenty of creativity and is four points back with two games left. Detroit's Moritz Seider, who just turned 21, is displaying plenty of maturity for a young defenseman. That could send votes his way.

Stanley Cup Final: Avalanche beat Lightning to win championship

The Colorado Avalanche are Stanley Cup champions for the first time since 2001, thanks to a resiliency that had eluded them in recent years.

The Avalanche tied an NHL record with their 10th come-from-behind victory of the playoffs to beat the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 Sunday night and end the two-time champions' reign.

Colorado star Nathan MacKinnon had his best game of the series with a goal and an assist in the second period to help the Avalanche clinch the franchise's third Stanley Cup with a 16-4 playoff record.

“It’s a relief. It’s a 20-pound weight lifted off our shoulders, and it means so much to bring this championship back to the city of Denver,” captain Gabriel Landeskog told NHL Network during the on-ice celebration at Tampa's Amalie Arena.

The Lightning, who were trying to send the series back to Denver for Game 7, got off to a good start when captain Steven Stamkos scored at 3:48 of the first period after a Colorado turnover.

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But MacKinnon tied it up at 1:54 of the second period on a one-timer during a delayed penalty. The Lightning argued that they touched the puck after the penalty, which should have resulted in the play being called dead, but the referees disagreed.

Artturi Lehkonen beat Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy at 12:28 to give the Avalanche their first regulation lead since Game 3. It ended up being his fourth game-winning goal and second consecutive series clincher.

Goaltender Darcy Kuemper, who was acquired in the offseason after Philipp Grubauer left in free agency, made that lead stand up with a strong save against Nikita Kucherov in the third period. He finished with 22 saves.

The Avalanche have steadily improved since finishing last overall in 2016-17 and had finished second, first and third overall the past three regular seasons.

Colorado got knocked out in the second round the last three postseasons, last year being particularly difficult because the Avalanche lost in six games to the Vegas Golden Knights after taking a 2-0 series lead.

"They had a tough end to last year," general manager Joe Sakic told NHL Network. "It stung. This group, right from Day 1 in training camp, they're preparing, they're doing everything they could to make this happen."

Sakic, the Avalanche's captain during the franchise's 1996 and 2001 championships, spent the 2022 trade deadline adding grit on the blue line and improving the penalty killing. Defenseman Josh Manson helped with both, and forwards Lehkonen, Nico Sturm and Andrew Cogliano kill penalties.

The moves also helped give the Avalanche the depth to overcome a season-ending injury to defenseman Sam Girard and missed games by Nazem Kadri, Andre Burakovsky and Cogliano. They swept the Nashville Predators in the first round and the Edmonton Oilers in the conference finals, and beat the St. Louis Blues in six games in the second round.

Cale Makar wins Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP

Norris Trophy winner Cale Makar was voted the winner of the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP after recording 29 points.

Makar (23 years, 239 days) became the youngest defenseman in 52 years to win the Conn Smythe Trophy and third overall to do so at age 23 or younger, following Bobby Orr with the 1970 Boston Bruins (22 years, 51 days) and Serge Savard with the 1969 Montreal Canadiens (23 years, 102 days).

Lightning fall short of three-peat bid

The Lightning had to remake their depth in the offseason because of salary cap woes but got past the Toronto Maple Leafs, Florida Panthers and New York Rangers to reach the Final for the third year in a row. They won only Games 3 and 5 to fall short of the NHL's first three-peat since the 1980s, but they won 11 consecutive series.

"We just ran out of gas," Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters.

Cooper brought the entire coaching to the podium as he had after the previous championships.

"It's tough because it's so raw," he said. "We haven't been through this feeling in three years. ... I will always remember this team for what they endured, what they went through to get to this point. You have to marvel at them."

The Lightning never had home-ice advantage in the playoffs and had to deal with injuries, including having star Brayden Point for only two games since Game 7 of the first round. Cooper said other players played through injuries.

"What they went through was mind-boggling," he said. "We would have had half our minor-league team playing if it was the regular season. .... The heart of champions."

Around the rinks

Defenseman Erik Johnson, who has been with the Avalanche since 2011, was the second person to be handed the Stanley Cup after Landeskog first lifted it. He has dealt with injuries in recent years. "Last year, I thought I might have to retire, and here I am Stanley Cup champion with some of my best friends in the world," he told ESPN. "I'm so grateful. I can't believe it." ... NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly handled the postgame presentations because commissioner Gary Bettman has tested positive for COVID-19.

NHL playoffs 2022: One question for each team on road to Stanley ...

The Stanley Cup playoffs start Monday and the biggest question is whether the Tampa Bay Lightning can become the first team since the 1980s New York Islanders to win three Stanley Cups in a row.

At times, it looked like the answer might be no. They had a 2-6 slide in March and lost four in a row in April. Nikita Kucherov had one goal in 15 games and Steven Stamkos had an eight-game goal drought. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy wasn't as dominant.

Now, they appear to be heading in the right direction, winning seven of their final nine games, routing first-round opponent Toronto and ending the Florida Panthers' 13-game winning streak. Kucherov scored 23 points in that stretch, including an eight-game goal streak, and Stamkos scored 26 points to top 100 points for the first time.

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NHL PLAYOFF SCHEDULE:Dates, times, television and results

With trade deadline acquisitions to rebuild their third line, the Lightning remain a danger in the playoffs.

Here is one question for the other 15 playoff teams:

Colorado Avalanche

Can Nazem Kadri have an incident-free playoffs?

He has been suspended in the first round in three of the last four playoffs, including eight games last season for a check against Blues defenseman Justin Faulk. The Maple Leafs traded him after his second suspension. Kadri is an unrestricted free agent and has a career high in assists and points. A suspension-free, productive postseason could lead to an even bigger payday. Expect him to play with an edge but not cross it. He has missed a few practices because of an illness and is a game-time decision.

Calgary Flames

Is this Johnny Gaudreau's last season in Calgary?

The Flames and Gaudreau's camp have said little publicly, but general manager Brad Treliving told Hockey Night in Canada After Hours in April that he would "move heaven and earth" to bring back the unrestricted free agent, who recorded a career-best 115 points this season. Gaudreau is from the Philadelphia area, but the Flyers are rebuilding. Calgary will give him a better chance at a Cup. The Flames also have to re-sign restricted free agents Matthew Tkachuk, Andrew Mangiapane and Oliver Kylington.

Minnesota Wild

How will they split their goaltending?

The Wild can't go wrong with newcomer Marc-Andre Fleury or Cam Talbot. But they didn't acquire Fleury, a three-time Stanley Cup champion, to be a backup. He started four of five games down the stretch. Last year, Fleury started 16 of 19 playoff games for the Vegas Golden Knights, but he's 37, so a more even split could happen. Coach Dean Evason isn't announcing his Game 1 starter. "We're excited about the opportunity to have both guys available if we need it, and we probably will," he said.

St. Louis Blues

Is this team better than the 2019 champions?

Yes, that team had one 70-point scorer and three 50-point scorers. This one has four and eight, respectively. Robert Thomas, Jordan Kyrou and Ivan Barbashev have bigger roles. Offseason acquisitions Pavel Buchnevich and Brandon Saad are thriving. Defensemen Alex Pietrangelo and Jay Bouwmeester are gone, but Torey Krug, Faulk and Nick Leddy are playing well. The big difference is 2019 goalie Jordan Binnington has been up and down this season, but Ville Husso has been solid. Husso will get the Game 1 start.

Edmonton Oilers

Can they make up for last season's playoff disaster?

Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl were shut out in the first two games of the Winnipeg Jets' eventual first-round sweep. The Oilers have added Zach Hyman (27 goals) and Evander Kane (22 goals in 43 games), meaning the team doesn't have to put its superstars on the same line. The coaching change helped. Jay Woodcroft is 26-9-3 since replacing Dave Tippett. The last three Finals have featured a team that made a midseason coaching change.

Los Angeles Kings

Can they send Dustin Brown out a winner?

Brown, an 18-year veteran, will retire after the playoffs. Will the Kings win another Stanley Cup? Probably not, even though there's a good mix of youngsters and veterans. But Brown will retire a winner. He had an impressive career that includes leading the Kings in career regular-season games and serving as captain from 2008-09 to 2015-16, including the team's two Cup wins. His number will be retired eventually.

Nashville Predators

Has Juuse Saros played too many games?

Saros played 67 games this season, picking up 38 wins. But he recorded 13 sub.-900 games in his last 29 games. He didn't play the last two regular-season games because he limped off the ice in the third period on April 26. Predators coach John Hynes told reporters on Monday that Saros would miss the first two games. David Rittich will start Game 1.

Dallas Stars

Do the Stars have another surprise run in them?

The Stars reached the Final in the 2020 bubble and they're facing the Flames again in the first round. But another run seems unlikely this time. They're essentially a one-line team (a very impressive line) and Calgary is much better this year. Goalie Jake Oettinger might be able to steal a game or two, but a first-round exit is likely.

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Florida Panthers

Will Claude Giroux win his first Stanley Cup?

The former Flyers captain made a solid choice on where to go when waiving his no-trade clause, picking up 23 points in 18 games. The Panthers have been aggressive in remaking their forward lines since the 2021 trade deadline. With injured defenseman Aaron Ekblad expected back, they're one of the top contenders.

Carolina Hurricanes

What's their goalie situation?

Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta won the Jennings Trophy for fewest team goals allowed, but Andersen is injured and won't play in Game 1. Raanta started and won Thursday after leaving early with "a little tweak." Pyotr Kochetkov has three wins in three games. Raanta got the Game 1 start.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Can they finally get past the first round?

They haven't done that since 2004 and have to face the Lightning, who routed them 8-1. Though the Maple Leafs were unable to upgrade their goaltending at the trade deadline, they added defensemen Mark Giordano and Ilya Lyubushkin. Plus, Auston Matthews scored 60 goals. He had three goals and seven points in three games against the Lightning.

New York Rangers

Do they have enough playoff experience?

New York has a lot of younger players, but it brought in playoff veterans. Barclay Goodrow won two Cups. Coach Gerard Gallant went to the 2018 Final with Vegas, and Ryan Reaves was on that team. Justin Braun went to the 2016 Final and Andrew Copp went to a conference final. They join Chris Kreider, the last Ranger left from the 2014 Final team.

Boston Bruins

Will the power play get back on track?

The Bruins had no power-play goals in 12 games before scoring three in their final two games. Forward David Pastrnak and defenseman Hampus Lindholm were injured for a big chunk of that time, so their return should help. Hurting their cause: The Hurricanes have the top penalty kill in the league.

Pittsburgh Penguins

Is this the last of the Big Three?

Sidney Crosby, Evgeni Malkin and Kris Letang won the Stanley Cup in 2009, 2016 and 2017. Malkin and Letang are unrestricted free agents this summer. It's possible one won't be back, especially with the Penguins also needing to re-sign Bryan Rust. The Penguins, meanwhile, will enter the playoffs without No. 1 goalie Tristan Jarry for at least a couple games, coach Mike Sullivan said.

Washington Capitals

How effective will Alex Ovechkin be?

He missed the final three games with an upper-body injury after tripping and slamming into the boards. He has been practicing and has never missed a playoff game. Asked Sunday whether he would play in Game 1, he said, "We'll see." But he added that he could have played last week had it been the playoffs. Coach Peter Laviolette said Monday that everything "is moving in the right direction" for Ovechkin. Tuesday, Laviolette said that the team captain would play. The team went 1-4 without him in the lineup this season.

NHL playoffs picks: Here is who experts predict will make Cup Final

The Colorado Avalanche and Edmonton Oilers waited 20 years and 16 years, respectively, to reach the conference finals.

And now, the matchup could be one for the ages.

The key will be the play of two former No. 1 overall draft picks: Colorado's Nathan MacKinnon (2013) and Edmonton's Connor McDavid (2015), McDavid has 26 points in 12 games and MacKinnon had a spectacular end-to-end rush to cap off a hat trick.

Edmonton's Leon Draisaitl is tied with McDavid in points while linemate Evander Kane leads the playoffs with 12 goals. Colorado defenseman Cale Makar is dangerous on the rush and Nazem Kadri had a big hat trick during trying circumstances.

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TOP 25 NHL FREE AGENTS:An early look at players who could test the market

The Tampa Bay Lightning, bidding for a third consecutive Stanley Cup, will face the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference final. The focus in this series will be on the goalies. New York's Igor Shesterkin is the expected Vezina Trophy winner and Andrei Vasilevskiy is money in the playoffs.

USA TODAY Sports' NHL staffers make their predictions for the conference finals:

Colorado Avalanche vs. Edmonton Oilers

Jimmy Hascup: Avalanche in six. Nathan MacKinnon vs. Connor McDavid is a matchup that has hockey fans salivating. While McDavid has somehow reached another level in these playoffs, it won't be enough against the Avalanche, who are a well-rounded team with offensive firepower of its own. I don't really trust either goalie, so this could be a high-scoring series, one that the Avs are battle-tested for after a tougher-than-expected series against the Blues.

Mike Brehm: Avalanche in six. Connor McDavid has been impressive on both ends of the ice. But he'll be facing a defense that's deep even with the loss of Sam Girard. If the Avalanche can keep McDavid from dominating — he had four assists in three regular-season games — Colorado has the offensive depth to advance.

Jace Evans: Avalanche in five: Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl are having the best offensive postseasons we’ve seen in some time. But the Avs have plenty of stars, too, and more crucially, have better depth and some all-world defensemen.

New York Rangers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Hascup: Rangers in six. New York has defied expectations through the first two rounds, so why not now? Sure, the Lightning are the favorites and they've proven they can beat teams in a variety of ways, but the Rangers' time was going to come eventually. Their top players have played better as the playoffs have progressed, the young ones are standing out and Igor Shesterkin is at the top of his game. Tampa is the more rested team this series, but the core group has still played a lot of hockey over the past two seasons, so the "fatigue" factor might not be as big of an issue against a Rangers team that has played back-to-back seven-game series.

Brehm: Lightning in six. Outside one game, the Rangers didn't face a No. 1 goalie in the playoffs. Now, they face Andrei Vasilevskiy, last year's Conn Smythe winner. He had a 0.75 goals-against average and a .981 save percentage in a sweep of the No. 1 overall Florida Panthers. If the Rangers continue to be outshot and force Igor Shesterkin to save them, that could spell trouble against the playoff-tested Lightning.

Evans: Lightning in six. The Rangers have showed incredible resiliency these playoffs, but their seven-game grind against the Hurricanes provided critical rest for the two-time defending champs.