Colorado Avalanche Unseat Tampa Bay to Win the Stanley Cup

The Colorado Avalanche dethroned the two-time defending champions Tampa Bay Lightning on Sunday night, winning Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Final 2-1 and claiming the franchise's third championship.

Nazem Kadri scored the game-winning goal with 3:19 remaining in the third period, and Darcy Kuemper made 22 saves to secure the victory. Nathan MacKinnon assisted on both of Colorado's goals, and Cale Makar and Devon Toews each had an assist. Nikita Kucherov scored the lone goal for Tampa Bay, and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 29 saves. The Avalanche won the series 4-2.

The Avalanche's victory marks the end of the Lightning's two-year reign as Stanley Cup champions. Tampa Bay won the Cup in 2020 and 2021, becoming the first team in NHL history to win back-to-back titles since the Pittsburgh Penguins did so in 2015 and 2016.

The Avalanche's victory is their first Stanley Cup championship since 2001. They are the first team to win the Stanley Cup on the road since the Los Angeles Kings did so in 2012.