The Tampa Bay Lightning are heading to the Stanley Cup Final for the third consecutive season and the reward is starting on the road again against the Western Conference’s top regular-season team.
The two-time defending champions, who have lacked home-ice advantage in every round, will open at the Colorado Avalanche on Wednesday (8 p.m. ET, ABC) after beating the New York Rangers 2-1 in Game 6 at Amalie Arena behind two goals by captain Steven Stamkos.
“These are the games you live for as a kid,” he told ESPN.
Stamkos opened the scoring in Saturday’s goaltending battle when his wrist shot eluded a partially screened Igor Shesterkin at 10:43 of the second period.
Stamkos was in the penalty box when Frank Vatrano tied the game on a power play at 13:07 of the third period.
But Stamkos scored 21 seconds later when the rebound of his shot went in off his leg. Shesterkin complained but the goal survived a review.
The Lightning are trying to become the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cups since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83.
Tampa Bay beat the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games, swept the No. 1 overall seed Florida Panthers and beat the Rangers in six after losing the first two games of the series.
Lightning’s Victor Hedman temporarily leaves game
Victor Hedman was pulled out of the game in the second period when Alexis Lafreniere caught him in the head with a check. The defenseman, who is a Norris Trophy finalist for the fifth consecutive season, grabbed his head and broke his stick as he returned to the bench.
Hedman rubbed his jaw as he sat on the bench and had to go to the dressing room, presumably because of concussion protocol.
But he returned to action in the third period.
Rangers’ Kaapo Kakko a healthy scratch
Rangers coach Gerard Gallant had limited the use of the Kid Line during the team’s loss in Game 5.
In Game 6, he sat out Kaapo Kakko and moved the other two members of the Kid Line to other lines. Alexis Lafrenière started alongside Mika Zibanejad and Vatrano and Filip Chytil was on a line with Chris Kreider and Barclay Goodrow, though the lines changed up later.
Kakko, the No. 2 overall pick in 2019, has five points in 19 playoff games. Forward Brayden Hunt made his third appearance of his postseason and first since the first round.
New York’s Ryan Strome, who has been playing through an injury, left warmups briefly but dressed for the game. He didn’t play in the third period.
Lightning center Brayden Point, who was injured in the first round, sat out again, though he is skating.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NHL playoffs: Lightning beat Rangers, head to Stanley Cup Final
