Colorado Avalanche win first Stanley Cup since 2001 with comeback victory in Game 6

TAMPA, Fla. — The Colorado Avalanche are Stanley Cup champions for the first time since 2001 after defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of the Cup Final on Sunday.

Artturi Lehkonen scored the Avalanche's game winner in the second period. Darcy Kuemper registered 22 saves in the victory.

Tampa Bay was making its third consecutive appearance in the Cup Final following back-to-back championships in 2020 and 2021. The Lightning would have been the NHL's first team to win three straight Cups since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980 to 1983.

Earning the victory took another come-from-behind effort from the Avalanche to clinch their franchise's first championship in two decades. They'd also played from behind in two of their three previous series-clinching games.

Steven Stamkos scored his 11th goal of the postseason 5-hole on Kuemper early in the first period, giving the Lightning a 1-0 lead. Tampa Bay outshot Colorado 10-8 through 20 minutes.

The Avalanche pushed back in the second. Nathan MacKinnon tallied the equalizer with a one-timer from the left circle past Andrei Vasilevskiy.

MacKinnon's second goal of the series came on a delayed penalty call, and Tampa Bay took issue with the play not being called dead when Nick Paul had touched the puck. Determining whether Paul had possession was not reviewable, so the goal stood to tie the game, 1-1.

Colorado continued to pepper Vasilevskiy until Lehkonen finally broke through to put the Avalanche ahead 2-1. That marked Colorado's first regulation lead of the series since Game 3.

The Lightning trailed to start the third period, but it was the Avalanche who were pressing with a quick 5-0 advantage in shots on goal. Colorado finished with a 30-23 edge in