Throughout the Stanley Cup playoffs we’ll be keeping track of all the action around the league, and bringing you all of the results in one place.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Dallas Stars
We had Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final last night, with the Lightning looking to wrap this thing up and seal the series win. Their chances were looking pretty good right out of the gates, as they came out with some serious jump and didn’t give the Stars much space to work with at all. They had one power play early and weren’t able to convert on that chance, but it felt like they were close to breaking through, and when they got another chance on the power play just past the midpoint of the period, they made the most of it. Regrouping after a clear, they made their entry with some speed, and somehow Brayden Point was given some space, and he made an initial shot, had the rebound kicked right back to him, and converted on that second chance look.
The second period saw the Stars struggling to get back into the mix—we saw some flashes of pushback, but more than anything they just looked gassed, and the Lightning continued to get some really good chances. It was a pretty stellar play that lead to the Lightning doubling their lead. With just about the whole of the Stars’ line already moving up-ice ahead of the puck, fresh off the bench Pat Maroon knocked down a pass and got the puck to a streaking Cedric Pacquette, who got it across to Blake Coleman, who sent an absolute rocket of a shot past Anton Khudobin.
When the third period hit, it felt like we were about to be in for the longest 20 minutes ever. The Lightning didn’t quite sit back, but the Stars found a bit more energy, and did have a few more looks, but Tampa kept them pretty well shut down. They had a chance on the power play inside the final five minutes, and it looked like they might also try to pull Khudobin to give themselves a two man advantage, but between a shorthanded chance by Anthony Cirelli and some overall good work by the Lightning to keep the puck tied up, they weren’t even able to get him pulled, much less generate a whole lot for themselves. So the Lightning continued to frustrate for just a few more minutes, and then the final buzzer sound, and it was all over.
And to tie things up: Victor Hedman won the Conn Smythe. Steven Stamkos still got the first chance to lift the Cup. And that’s all she wrote.
Final: Tampa Bay 2, Dallas 0
Series: 4-2 Tampa Bay wins!
SB Nation team perspective: TBL | DAL
Highlights: NHL
