Avalanche defeat two-time defending champions Tampa Bay Lightning to win Stanley Cup

Behind a goal and an assist from MacKinnon, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup for the third time in franchise history

Nathan MacKinnon could not find the words. Gabriel Landeskog cracked a smile and a joke.

After years of playoff disappointments, the Colorado Avalanche are back atop hockey’s mountain after dethroning the two-time defending champions.

Behind a goal and an assist from MacKinnon, the Avalanche won the Stanley Cup for the third time in franchise history and first in more than two decades by beating the Tampa Bay Lightning 2-1 in Game 6 of the final Sunday night.

“It’s just been building over time,” playoff MVP-winning defenseman Cale Makar said about the Avalanche’s journey. “I’ve been here only three years. A couple of tough exits in the playoffs. It was just all leading up to this.”

It’s the first title for the Avs’ core group led by MacKinnon, captain Gabriel Landeskog, Mikko Rantanen and Makar, and it follows several early postseason exits _ in the second round each of the past three seasons and the first round in 2018. The 2016-17 team was the worst in hockey, finishing with just 48 points.

“It’s hard to describe,” said MacKinnon, who led the way in the clincher by blocking shots and taking big hits in addition to his offensive production. “Some tough years mixed in there, but it’s all over now. We never stopped believing.”

With a mix of speed, high-end talent and the experience gained from those defeats, Colorado broke through this time _ earning every bit of the championship by knocking off a deep and gritty team that hoisted the Cup the past two years.

“To beat them is probably a little more satisfying, to be honest, because they are champions,” said veteran forward Andrew Cogliano, who hoisted the Cup for the first time at age 35. “They know how to win. And, ultimately, when you can beat the champions, you know you really earned it.”