Bolts end Habs' improbable run, repeat as Stanley Cup champions
The Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Montreal Canadiens 1-0 in Game 5 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday night to claim their second consecutive championship.
Tampa Bay won the title again after dispatching the Dallas Stars over six games in the 2019-20 final in the Edmonton bubble.
Montreal was vying for its first Stanley Cup victory since 1993, and the Canadian club was making its first appearance in the championship round since that year.
The Canadiens had the worst record among postseason squads this year, but they upset the Toronto Maple Leafs, Winnipeg Jets, and Vegas Golden Knights en route to the Stanley Cup Final.
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 22 saves to earn the shutout Wednesday - his fifth of this postseason - and he won the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.
Tampa Bay rookie Ross Colton scored the lone goal of Game 5 in the second period.
The Lightning reached the final for the third time in seven years after the Chicago Blackhawks vanquished them over six games in 2015.