Stanley Cup Final history: Who won the Stanley Cup last season?

The Colorado Avalanche ended the Tampa Bay Lightning's stanglehold on the Stanley Cup in 2022 when they defeated the two-time defending champions in six games to claim their first Cup since the 2001 season. Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar took home the Conn Smythe Trophy.

2022 Stanley Cup Final: Avalanche vs. Lightning

Colorado was the No. 1 seed coming out of the Western Conference, collecting 119 points during the season. They reached the Cup Final by sweeping the Nashville Predators in the first round, beating the St. Louis Blues in six games in the second round and completing another four-game sweep of the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals.

Tampa Bay was the No. 3 seed in the Atlantic Division, collecting 110 poinds. The Lightning advanced to their third consecutive Cup Final by rallying to get past the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games in the first round, sweeping the Florida Panthers in the second round and beating the New York Rangers in six games in the Eastern Conference Finals.

Game 1 of the Final saw the Avalanche jump out to a 3-1 lead in the first period, but the Lightning got goals from Ondrej Palat and Mikhail Sergachev in the second period to tie things. After a scoreless third the game went into overtime where Andre Burakovsky scored at 1:23 of the extra stanza to give the Avalanche a 4-3 win.

Game 2 was a complete Avalanche blow out, winning 7-0 and taking a 2-0 series lead. Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar had two goals each while Mikko Rantanen had three assists.

Game 3 saw the Lightning jump back in the series with a 6-2 win on home ice. Palat, Steven Stammos and Pat Maroon each had a goal and an assist. Gabriel Landeskog scored both goals for Colorado.

Game 4 had a little controversy at the end as things were getting much tighter in the series. Tampa Bay had a 2-1 lead behind goals from Victor Hedman and Anthony Cirelli. Colorado tied the game at 2-2 with a third-period goal from Andrew Coligano and won it in overtime with Nasem Kadri's game winner. After the game Lightning coach Jon Cooper protested that the Avalanche had too many men on the ice.

Game 5 was in Colorado and with the Lightning in a do-or-die scenario they kept the game in front of them, leading 2-1 after two periods. Makar tied it with a goal early in the third period, but Palat came up big with his 11th goal of the playoffs, a game-winner that forced a return trip to Tamapa.

Game 6 was another tight checking contrest. The Lightning took a 1-0 lead behind a goal from Stamko, but Colorado rallied in the second period with goals from Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen to make it 2-1. The Avs then went into shutdown mode and held the Lightning to four shots on goal in the third period running the clock out and claiming the Cup.

In 2023 both teams were eliminated in the first round. Colorado losing to the Seattle Kraken in seven games and the Lightning losing to the Maple Leafs in six.

  
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