Steven Stamkos scored twice to lead the host Tampa Bay Lightning to a thrilling 2-1 victory over the New York Rangers on Saturday and send them to the Stanley Cup Final with the opportunity to claim their third consecutive title.
Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy made 20 saves as the two-time defending champion Lightning claimed the Eastern Conference finals 4-2.
The Lightning — who have won 11 consecutive playoff rounds, the third longest run in NHL history — will face the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final, which kicks off Wednesday in Denver. It's Tampa Bay's fifth trip to the championship round.
With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.