Tuesday, March 19, 2024

#NHLStats: Lightning Strike Twice and Complete Repeat

#NHLStats: Lightning Strike Twice and Complete Repeat

LIGHTNINGĀ RUN IT BACK AND CLAIM SECOND STRAIGHT STANLEY CUP
After theĀ LightningĀ won the 2020 Stanley CupĀ in an elongated season that took 363 days due to a pause caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, they are again hoisting the prized trophy just 282 days later. Tampa Bay claimed its third championship in franchise history, adding to titles won in 2004 and 2020, with a 1-0 victory over the Canadiens in Game 5.

* In a regular season that featured strictly divisional play and the birth of new rivalries, theĀ LightningĀ opened their 28th campaign with aĀ victory against the BlackhawksĀ on Jan. 13 and concluded by hoisting the Cup on home ice for the second time (also 2004).

* TheĀ Lightningā€™s championship journey included the first-ever all-Florida matchup in theĀ Stanley Cup Playoffs, a six-game victory, followed by a five-game triumph over the Discover Central Divisionā€™s top-seeded Hurricanes. In an epic final-four rematch with the Islanders, theĀ LightningĀ emerged from the Stanley Cup Semifinals with their sixth all-time Game 7 victory, setting up a meeting with the Canadiens in the Final.

* After winning the Stanley Cup in a ā€œbubbleā€ in Edmonton in 2020, Tampa Bay hoisted the trophy in front of 18,110 fans at AMALIE Arena. It was the second time theĀ LightningĀ won the Cup on home ice and fourth time in the last 10 years that any team has done so.

* Tampa Bay (3) is just the second Florida-based franchise to win at least three titles in either the NHL, NBA (Miami Heat: 3), NFL (Miami Dolphins: 2; Tampa Bay Buccaneers: 2) or MLB (Florida Marlins: 2). The Heat (2012, 2013) and Dolphins (1973, 1974) repeated as NBA and Super Bowl champions, respectively.

VASILEVSKIY AWARDED CONN SMYTHE TROPHY
After posting a 16-7 record (1.90 GAA, .937 SV%, 5 SO) en route to claiming his second consecutive Stanley Cup,Ā Andrei VasilevskiyĀ won the Conn Smythe Trophy, awarded to ā€œthe most valuable player to his team in the playoffs.ā€ The winner was selected in a vote by a panel of the Professional Hockey Writers Association.

* Vasilevskiy (Tyumen, Russia) is the first goaltender born outside North America to be named playoff MVP. Overall, this marks the 17th time a goaltender won the Conn Smythe Trophy since the awardā€™s inception in 1964-65.

* Vasilevskiy is just the third Russian-born player to win the Conn Smythe Trophy, joining Capitals captainĀ Alex OvechkinĀ (Moscow, RUS; 2018) and Penguins forwardĀ Evgeni MalkinĀ (Magnitogorsk, RUS; 2009).

* Vasilevskiy also became just theĀ fourth active goaltender to win multiple Stanley Cups, joiningĀ Marc-Andre FleuryĀ (3),Ā Jonathan QuickĀ (2) andĀ Matt MurrayĀ (2). Fleury and Murray also wonĀ consecutive championships.

* Vasilevskiy became the second goaltender in the NHLā€™s expansion era (since 1967-68) to claim consecutive Stanley Cup titles while earning every victory for his club across each postseason. The only other to do so in that span wasĀ Ken DrydenĀ (1976ā€“1979 w/ MTL).

* Vasilevskiy became the first goaltender in more than 40 years to win the Stanley Cup in consecutive playoff years with a goals-against average under 2.00 in each postseason (min. 10 GP in both) since Dryden accomplished the feat in three straight years from 1976 to 1978. The only other goaltender to do so isĀ Jacques Plante, who accomplished the feat in three straight years from 1956 to 1958.

* Vasilevskiy recorded a streak of five straight series-clinching shutouts dating to the Cup-clinching victory in Game 6 of the 2020Ā Stanley Cup FinalĀ (2021: Game 6 of R1, Game 5 of R2, Game 7 of SCSF & Game 5 of SCF). That is the longest such run by a goaltender in NHL history.

* Vasilevskiy became the first goaltender in NHL history with four series-clinching shutouts in a single postseason. He also became the third in League history with multiple Cup-clinching shutouts (consecutive or otherwise).

KUCHEROV, POINT LEAD PLAYOFFS IN POINTS, GOALS ONCE AGAIN
Nikita KucherovĀ (8-24ā€”32 in 23 GP) andĀ Brayden PointĀ (14-9ā€”23 in 23 GP) topped the NHL in points and goals, respectively, during the 2021Ā Stanley Cup Playoffs.

* Kucherov, who also led all players in pointsĀ during the 2020 postseasonĀ (7-27ā€”34 in 25 GP), became the sixth different player in the NHLā€™s expansion era (since 1967-68) to lead theĀ Stanley Cup PlayoffsĀ in points in consecutive years (outright or tied), joiningĀ Wayne GretzkyĀ (3x: 1983-85; 2x: 1987-88),Ā Guy LafleurĀ (3x: 1977-79),Ā Mario LemieuxĀ (2x: 1991-92),Ā Rick MacLeishĀ (2x: 1974-75) andĀ Phil EspositoĀ (2x: 1969-70).

* Kucherov became just the third player to record 30-plus points in consecutive playoff years, joining NHL legendsĀ Lemieux (1991-1992) and Gretzky (1983-1985 & 1987-1988).

* Kucherovā€™s combined 66 points over the 2020 and 2021 postseasons trail only Gretzky and Lemieux for total points across two consecutive playoff years. Gretzky (60 from 1987-1988 and 52 from 1984-1985) is the only player to record more assists than Kucherov (51) across two postseasons.

* Point finished the playoffs with six more goals than the next closest players after alsoĀ pacing the 2020 postseasonĀ with a franchise-record 14 goals.

* Point had a nine-game goal streak ā€“ theĀ second-longest such run in NHL historyĀ ā€“ and became the first player to record 14-plus goals in consecutive playoff years since Lemieux (1991ā€“1992). The only other players in NHL history to do so areĀ Mike BossyĀ (1981ā€“1983) andĀ Jari KurriĀ (1984ā€“1985; 1987ā€“1988).

* Point became the eighth different player in League history to lead theĀ Stanley Cup PlayoffsĀ in goals in consecutive years (tied or outright).

WHERE PAT MAROON GOES, SO TOO DOES STANLEY
After winning his first Stanley Cup in 2019 with the Blues and second in 2020 with theĀ Lightning,Ā Pat MaroonĀ claimed the trophy for a third straight year.Ā Already one of eight different players in NHL historyĀ to win a championship in consecutive seasons with different teams, Maroon became the first player to win three straight Stanley Cups since multiple players did so with the Islanders dynasty from 1980 to 1983.

* Maroon joinedĀ Ed Litzenberger,Ā Ab McDonaldĀ andĀ Eddie GerardĀ as theĀ fourth player in NHL historyĀ to claim three-plus straight Stanley Cup wins while playing for two different teams over that span. An NHL player has never won three or more consecutive titles with three or more different clubs.

* Maroonā€™s threeĀ Stanley Cup winsĀ are tied for the most among active players, equalingĀ Sidney Crosby,Ā Marc-Andre Fleury,Ā Niklas Hjalmarsson,Ā Patrick Kane,Ā Duncan Keith,Ā Kris Letang,Ā Evgeni MalkinĀ andĀ Jonathan Toews.

* Maroon has been on the winning side in each of the last 12 playoff series contested by his teams since the 2019 First Round (8-0 w/ TBL, 4-0 w/ STL). He is one of two players in the last 36 years to be on the roster for 12 consecutive playoff series wins (min. 1 GP in playoff year), followingĀ Jaroslav PouzarĀ (12-0 from 1984-1987, all w/ EDM). Excluding the Canadiens and Islanders dynasties of the 1970s and 1980s, respectively, Maroon and Pouzar are the only players to have won 12 consecutive series.

STAMKOS PLAYS LARGER ROLE IN CUP RUN
After playing just 2:47 in the entire 2020Ā Stanley Cup Playoffs,Ā LightningĀ captainĀ Steven StamkosĀ dressed in all 23 games for Tampa Bay in the 2021 postseason where he produced 8-10ā€”18 to rankĀ tied for third in NHL scoringĀ and match a career high.

* Each of the five highest-scoring players in the 2021 playoffs were Tampa Bay skaters. It marked the second postseason in the NHLā€™s expansion era (since 1967-68) in which each of the Leagueā€™s top-five scorers were with the same club ā€“ the first was inĀ 1970, when Bruins teammatesĀ Phil Esposito,Ā Bobby Orr,Ā Johnny Bucyk,Ā John McKenzieĀ andĀ Fred StanfieldĀ combined for the feat.

HOME SWEET HOME
Tampa Bay, which hoisted its first Stanley Cup in front of fans at St. Pete Times Forum in 2004, matched a franchise record for mostĀ home wins in a single postseasonĀ (9; also 2004) and set one for longest home winning streak in a playoff year (6-0).

CONSISTENTLY CONTENDERS: JON COOPER ANDĀ JULIENĀ BRISEBOIS
Tampa Bayā€™sĀ Jon CooperĀ andĀ Julien BriseBoisĀ have now claimed three championships over the last 10 years as a head coach-general manager tandem, winning two Stanley Cups with theĀ LightningĀ (2020 & 2021) and one Calder Cup with the AHL’s Norfolk Admirals (2012). ForwardsĀ Tyler Johnson,Ā Alex KillornĀ andĀ Ondrej PalatĀ were also part of each championship.

* BriseBois, who acquired key players such asĀ Pat Maroon,Ā Blake Coleman,Ā Barclay Goodrow,Ā Jan RuttaĀ andĀ David SavardĀ after being named to the position Sept. 11, 2018, became the second general manager in NHL history to win the Stanley Cup multiple times within his first three seasons with that title, joining longtime Canadiens executiveĀ Sam PollockĀ (2 from 1964-65ā€“1966-67).

MORE ON TAMPA BAYā€™S SECOND STRAIGHT STANLEY CUP

* The Stanley Cup now has been awarded in six different months: March (6x; first in 1918 and last in 1929), April (40x; first in 1920 and last in 1964), May (27x; first in 1965 and last in 1991), June (27x; first in 1992 and last in 2019), September (2020) and for the first time, July.

* Ross Colton, who scored the game-winning goal in his League debut on Feb. 24 earlier this year, concluded his first NHL season by scoring the Stanley Cup clincher for theĀ Lightning. Colton became theĀ seventh rookie in NHL historyĀ to score a Cup-clinching goal and just the second to do so in the Leagueā€™s modern era (since 1943-44), joiningĀ Mike RuppĀ inĀ 2003Ā (w/ NJD).

* Tampa Bay andĀ Andrei VasilevskiyĀ went 7-0 following a loss during the 2021Ā Stanley Cup PlayoffsĀ after having an equal record under that criterion in the 2020 postseason en route to the championship. TheĀ LightningĀ have not suffered consecutive playoff losses since 2019, when they were swept by the Blue Jackets in theĀ First Round.

* TheĀ LightningĀ are just the third team in NHL history to bounce back from a sweep with Stanley Cup championships in each of the next two seasons.

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