The Tampa Bay Lightning has no intention of trading their captain, Steven Stamkos, according to general manager Julien BriseBois.

Stamkos entered the 2023-24 NHL season in the final year of his contract. Many believed that Lightning would try to get something in return for him instead of letting him walk as a free agent, but BriseBois refuted this notion in a chat with reporters earlier this week.

“Steven Stamkos isn’t getting traded,” said BriseBois. “We can put that one to bed. If anyone was speculating on that, that’s not going to change between now and the deadline under any circumstances.”

BriseBois added that there still might be a future for Stamkos, who has 41 points in 41 games this season, in Tampa Bay after the 2023-24 campaign.

“We’re going to sit down, and we’re going to evaluate where we are as a team and where Steven is,” he said. “We will see how we can make all of the parts work together.”

Steven Stamkos spent his entire career with the Lightning. Since making his debut with the franchise in 2008-09, Stamkos played in 1044 games, scoring 533 goals and dishing 564 assists for a total of 1,097 points. He helped the Lightning win two Stanley Cups and owns a number of franchise records, including most career points and most career goals.

The post Lightning GM Julien BriseBois Says Captain Steven Stamkos Won’t Be Traded appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored the 500th goal of his career during the first period of his team’s 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, going on to score a hat trick. Following his goal, Stamkos’ teammates ruched off the bench to celebrate with him as the crowd cheered.

“It’s such a humbling experience when you have a moment like that and you get to celebrate it with your teammates, who are genuinely just as excited as you are. I’m so thankful for them,” Stamkos commented after the win. “Obviously this is an individual statistic, but it takes so many different players along the way that have helped me get to that.”

Selected first overall in the 2008 NHL Draft, Stamkos has remained with Tampa Bay for the duration of his career. He has amassed 1,022 points (500 goals, 522 assists) in 965 games for the team.

In addition to his role as team captain, the center proved to be a vital member of the Lightning squad that won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021. He also won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top scorer in 2010 and 2012.

The post Lightning’s Steven Stamkos Scores 500th Goal on Route to Hat Trick appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are parting ways with veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh. The team announced over the weekend that McDonagh was traded to the Nashville Predators in a deal that helps them get some badly-needed salary cap space.

In exchange for McDonagh, the Lightning received defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash.  

McDonagh has four years left on the seven-year, $47.25 million contract extension he inked with Tampa Bay in 2018. He also received a no-trade clause at the time but agreed to waive it in order to make the deal go through.

Speaking about the move, general manager Julien BriseBois said that trading McDonagh was tough but necessary to maintain the Lightning’s status as a championship contender.

“It gives us the flexibility to potentially re-sign [winger Ondrej] Palat or [defenseman Jan] Rutta or address holes that need to be filled on the free-agent market or the trade market,” BriseBois said

Ryan McDonagh, who has two All-Star appearances on his resume, joined the Lightning towards the end of the 2017–18 season. His experience and veteran leadership proved crucial in helping propel Tampa Bay to three Stanley Cup Finals trips and two Stanley Cup wins. 

“It’s been an incredible five years,” McDonagh said. “Looking forward to utilizing all the experience that I’ve had on the losing side and the winning side to hopefully do something special with the Nashville group.”

The post Lightning Send D Ryan McDonagh to Nashville Predators appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have to brace themselves for a life without their star winger Nikita Kucherov. The team announced earlier this week that Kucherov underwent surgery and is set to spend eight to 10 weeks on the sidelines.

The team didn’t provide much detail on the reasons for the procedure, but the reports say Kutcherov has been dealing with an unspecified lower-body injury.

The 28-year-old All-Star got hurt after a collision in the third quarter of a 2-1 overtime win against the Washington Capitals in mid-October. At the time, the Lightning were cautiously optimistic that Kucherov wouldn’t miss much time despite ruling him out indefinitely.

Nikita Kucherov previously missed the entire 2020-21 NHL regular season after having surgery on his hip but managed to return in time for the playoffs. He ended up leading the Lightning to their second consecutive Stanley Cup trophy while having the most assists (24) and points (32) than any other player in the playoffs. Kucherov played three games this season, including the Capitals one, and has one goal and three assists for a total of four points.

Kucherov’s absence might prove to be a tough blow for the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially since the team entered the 2021-22 season worse than expected. While they currently sit at a 4-3-1 record, they already experienced a three-game losing streak this season, while half of their wins came in overtime.

The post Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov Has Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning made sure they had head coach Jon Cooper on a long-term contract before starting their quest for a three-peat. The franchise announced on Monday that Cooper inked a new three-year extension that will now keep him with the franchise through the 2025-26 season.

Cooper, who is currently the longest-tenured head coach in the league, is getting rewarded for leading the team on an impressive run that saw the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in each of the past two years.

“It has been a tremendous honor to be the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the past eight-plus seasons, and I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to build on what we have here,” Cooper said in a statement after the deal became official.

Jon Cooper arrived in Tampa Bay as a mid-season replacement for Guy Boucher in 2012-13 and quickly established the Lightning into a force to be reckoned with. In just his second season at the helm, Cooper led the team to the Stanley Cup finals but fell short against the Chicago Blackhawks.

After making two conference finals in the next four years, the Lightning returned to the Stanley Cup in the shortened 2019-20 season and, this time, managed to win it all. Cooper and the team then repeated the feat last season with a dominant 4-1 outing in the series against the Montreal Canadiens.

As Lightning’s head coach, Cooper has a 384–197–53 record. He is 70–46 in the postseason.

“Unequivocally, Coop is the best person for the job,” Lightning’s general manager Julien BriseBois said. “He is a great leader, spokesperson, and ambassador for our organization. We are lucky to have him as our head coach, and I very much look forward to our continued partnership.”

The post Lighting Rewards Coach Jon Cooper With 3-Year Contract Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Anthony Cirelli to a new deal, keeping together another important part of the roster that won the Stanley Cup last season.

The team confirmed the news on Thursday, announcing that Cirelli returns to Tampa Bay on a three-year contract. The agreement is worth $14.4 million, with the 23-year-old center set to earn $4.8 million per year on average.

By signing Cirelli, who played out his entry-contract in 2019-20, the Lightning managed to hold onto all of their restricted free-agents ahead of the new NHL season.

“Essentially we have everyone signed that we wanted to have signed prior to the start of the season,” said BriseBois.

The reason why the Lightning took a bit longer to tie Cirelli to a long-term deal was the team’s cap issues. Tampa Bay was projected to be $6 million over the league’s salary cap and couldn’t lock him without making some major moves. In the end, there wasn’t a need for that since the Lightning got major cap-relief due to the injury of star winger Nikita Kucherov.

Anthony Cirelli played a big role for the Lightning in 2019-20, contributing with 16 goals and 28 assists for a career-high 44 points. Cirelli added three goals and nine assists in the postseason.

The post Anthony Cirelli Agrees To Stay With Lightning Through 2022-23 NHL Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, NHL successfully wrapped its 2019/20 season. And it was Tampa Bay Lightning who emerged as the team that managed the unusual situation the best, as the captured the elusive Stanley Cup on Monday night.

Lightning secured the trophy with a 2-0 win over Dallas Stars in Game 6, with Brayden Point and Blake Coleman getting on the scoreboard in the first and second periods respectively.  This was Tampa Bay’s second championship in franchise history and first since 2004.

Besides Stanley Cup, Lightning’s defenseman Victor Hedman ended up lifting the Conn Smythe Trophy as well, being crowned the playoff MVP.

“It takes a lot to be in a bubble for 80 days or whatever long it was,” said Hedman after the game. “But it’s all worth it now. We’re coming home with the Cup.”

While Hedman carried the load for Tampa Bay on the defensive end, Brayden Point was the man in charge of the offense. Point finished the postseason with playoffs-high 14 goals, while also adding 19 assists.

“The beauty of our team is everyone was chipping in,” said Point. “We got tremendous depth. We got contributions from anyone and everyone at different times, and that’s what makes this win so special.”

Tampa Bay Lightning demonstrated a dominant performance throughout the postseason, losing just one game in each of their first two rounds. They had to push to six games in Conference Finals against New York Islanders but were dominant in that series as well.

Lighting’s win gets more impressive when you realize that the team played almost the entire playoffs without their captain and one of the key players in Steven Stamkos.

“These last six weeks have been really emotional for my family and I, not only on the ice but off the ice,” said Stamkos. “I just want to say to my family: I love you guys so much. To all the friends and everyone who supported us along the way: We love you. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.”

The post Lightning Beats Stars 2-0 in Game 6 to Capture Stanley Cup appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Tampa Bay Lightning’s captain Steven Stamkos hasn’t stepped on the ice in an official NHL game since February before making an appearance against the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. But it didn’t make any difference, as Stamkos immediately made an impact, scoring on his first shot and fueling Tampa Bay to a 5-2 win.

Stamkos underwent a core muscle surgery in March and then had another injury during training camp that further postponed his return. The 30-year-old ended up playing just three minutes against Stars, but even that was enough to count as a successful comeback.

”Just to be able to get out into a game and have an impact on a game, which a month ago may have never been possible’,’ said Stamkos after the game. ”It’s been such a long time. At this time of the year, you want to do anything you can to help your team win. I’ve watched these guys be so committed to what our end goal is, and to be part of it tonight, it was a dream come true.”

Stamkos’ goal gave the Lightning a 2-0 lead in the first quarter, while Stars cut it in half thanks to Jason Dickinson. However, inspired by their captain’s return, Tampa Bay had an even more dominant performance in the second period, scoring three goals to make it 5-1.

In the third quarter, Stars only managed to make the defeat more bearable as Miro Heiskanen set the final score of 5-2.  

With this win, Lightning took the 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is scheduled to take place on Friday.

The post Steven Stamkos Return Fuels Lightning to a 5-2 Win Over the Stars appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After a five-year hiatus, the Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Stanley Cup Final again.

Tampa Bay defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 in overtime on Thursday, winning the best-of-seven series 4-2.

The Lightning’s game-winner was netted by Anthony Cirelli 13 minutes into overtime.

Cirelli took advantage of a tired Islanders team, creeping behind them and putting himself in position to score. The pass came from Barclay Goodrow to Cirelli, who put the puck in the back of the net before anyone on the Islanders team, including goalie Semyon Varlomov, could adjust.

But the star of the game for the Lightning was goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who put up 26 saves in the game, holding the Islanders to a single goal.

Next up in the playoff bubble in Edmonton are the Dallas Stars, who are back in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years. The Stars easily handled the Las Vegas Golden Knights, winning the series in just five games.

The last time the Lightning made it to the Stanley Cup Final they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. Tampa Bay has one Stanley Cup title. They defeated the Calgary Flames in the 2004 final.

The post Lightning Eliminate Islanders, Will Face Stars in Stanley Cup Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Dallas Stars forward Denis Gurlanov scored three minutes into overtime to lift the Stars to a 3-2 win over the Las Vegas Golden Knights, sending them to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stars eliminated the Golden Knights in five games and will represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years.

It has truly been a strange season for Dallas, that came with many ups and downs, making the trip to the finals even sweeter for the team and fans that have been long for the ride.

The Stars started off the season winning only one of their first nine games and ended the season with a six-game losing streak. However, they played like the best team in the league between those two strange periods of losing.

Dallas then fired their coach in December and have been led to the finals by interim coach Rick Bowness.

Gurianov’s goal in overtime came after a frantic third period in which the Stars were down 0-2. Jamie Benn and Joel Kiviranta netted two goals in the final period, taking the Stars into overtime where Gurianov would seal the deal and punch the team’s ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stars will face the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning-New York Islanders series, which Tampa Bay leads 3-1.

The post Dallas Stars Headed to Stanley Cup Finals for First Time in 20 Years appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning has no intention of trading their captain, Steven Stamkos, according to general manager Julien BriseBois.

Stamkos entered the 2023-24 NHL season in the final year of his contract. Many believed that Lightning would try to get something in return for him instead of letting him walk as a free agent, but BriseBois refuted this notion in a chat with reporters earlier this week.

“Steven Stamkos isn’t getting traded,” said BriseBois. “We can put that one to bed. If anyone was speculating on that, that’s not going to change between now and the deadline under any circumstances.”

BriseBois added that there still might be a future for Stamkos, who has 41 points in 41 games this season, in Tampa Bay after the 2023-24 campaign.

“We’re going to sit down, and we’re going to evaluate where we are as a team and where Steven is,” he said. “We will see how we can make all of the parts work together.”

Steven Stamkos spent his entire career with the Lightning. Since making his debut with the franchise in 2008-09, Stamkos played in 1044 games, scoring 533 goals and dishing 564 assists for a total of 1,097 points. He helped the Lightning win two Stanley Cups and owns a number of franchise records, including most career points and most career goals.

The post Lightning GM Julien BriseBois Says Captain Steven Stamkos Won’t Be Traded appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning captain Steven Stamkos scored the 500th goal of his career during the first period of his team’s 5-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Wednesday night, going on to score a hat trick. Following his goal, Stamkos’ teammates ruched off the bench to celebrate with him as the crowd cheered.

“It’s such a humbling experience when you have a moment like that and you get to celebrate it with your teammates, who are genuinely just as excited as you are. I’m so thankful for them,” Stamkos commented after the win. “Obviously this is an individual statistic, but it takes so many different players along the way that have helped me get to that.”

Selected first overall in the 2008 NHL Draft, Stamkos has remained with Tampa Bay for the duration of his career. He has amassed 1,022 points (500 goals, 522 assists) in 965 games for the team.

In addition to his role as team captain, the center proved to be a vital member of the Lightning squad that won back-to-back Stanley Cup titles in 2020 and 2021. He also won the Maurice “Rocket” Richard Trophy as the NHL’s top scorer in 2010 and 2012.

The post Lightning’s Steven Stamkos Scores 500th Goal on Route to Hat Trick appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are parting ways with veteran defenseman Ryan McDonagh. The team announced over the weekend that McDonagh was traded to the Nashville Predators in a deal that helps them get some badly-needed salary cap space.

In exchange for McDonagh, the Lightning received defenseman Philippe Myers and forward Grant Mismash.  

McDonagh has four years left on the seven-year, $47.25 million contract extension he inked with Tampa Bay in 2018. He also received a no-trade clause at the time but agreed to waive it in order to make the deal go through.

Speaking about the move, general manager Julien BriseBois said that trading McDonagh was tough but necessary to maintain the Lightning’s status as a championship contender.

“It gives us the flexibility to potentially re-sign [winger Ondrej] Palat or [defenseman Jan] Rutta or address holes that need to be filled on the free-agent market or the trade market,” BriseBois said

Ryan McDonagh, who has two All-Star appearances on his resume, joined the Lightning towards the end of the 2017–18 season. His experience and veteran leadership proved crucial in helping propel Tampa Bay to three Stanley Cup Finals trips and two Stanley Cup wins. 

“It’s been an incredible five years,” McDonagh said. “Looking forward to utilizing all the experience that I’ve had on the losing side and the winning side to hopefully do something special with the Nashville group.”

The post Lightning Send D Ryan McDonagh to Nashville Predators appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have to brace themselves for a life without their star winger Nikita Kucherov. The team announced earlier this week that Kucherov underwent surgery and is set to spend eight to 10 weeks on the sidelines.

The team didn’t provide much detail on the reasons for the procedure, but the reports say Kutcherov has been dealing with an unspecified lower-body injury.

The 28-year-old All-Star got hurt after a collision in the third quarter of a 2-1 overtime win against the Washington Capitals in mid-October. At the time, the Lightning were cautiously optimistic that Kucherov wouldn’t miss much time despite ruling him out indefinitely.

Nikita Kucherov previously missed the entire 2020-21 NHL regular season after having surgery on his hip but managed to return in time for the playoffs. He ended up leading the Lightning to their second consecutive Stanley Cup trophy while having the most assists (24) and points (32) than any other player in the playoffs. Kucherov played three games this season, including the Capitals one, and has one goal and three assists for a total of four points.

Kucherov’s absence might prove to be a tough blow for the Tampa Bay Lightning, especially since the team entered the 2021-22 season worse than expected. While they currently sit at a 4-3-1 record, they already experienced a three-game losing streak this season, while half of their wins came in overtime.

The post Lightning’s Nikita Kucherov Has Surgery appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning made sure they had head coach Jon Cooper on a long-term contract before starting their quest for a three-peat. The franchise announced on Monday that Cooper inked a new three-year extension that will now keep him with the franchise through the 2025-26 season.

Cooper, who is currently the longest-tenured head coach in the league, is getting rewarded for leading the team on an impressive run that saw the Lightning win the Stanley Cup in each of the past two years.

“It has been a tremendous honor to be the head coach of the Tampa Bay Lightning for the past eight-plus seasons, and I’m looking forward to having the opportunity to build on what we have here,” Cooper said in a statement after the deal became official.

Jon Cooper arrived in Tampa Bay as a mid-season replacement for Guy Boucher in 2012-13 and quickly established the Lightning into a force to be reckoned with. In just his second season at the helm, Cooper led the team to the Stanley Cup finals but fell short against the Chicago Blackhawks.

After making two conference finals in the next four years, the Lightning returned to the Stanley Cup in the shortened 2019-20 season and, this time, managed to win it all. Cooper and the team then repeated the feat last season with a dominant 4-1 outing in the series against the Montreal Canadiens.

As Lightning’s head coach, Cooper has a 384–197–53 record. He is 70–46 in the postseason.

“Unequivocally, Coop is the best person for the job,” Lightning’s general manager Julien BriseBois said. “He is a great leader, spokesperson, and ambassador for our organization. We are lucky to have him as our head coach, and I very much look forward to our continued partnership.”

The post Lighting Rewards Coach Jon Cooper With 3-Year Contract Extension appeared first on SportzBonanza.

The Tampa Bay Lightning have signed forward Anthony Cirelli to a new deal, keeping together another important part of the roster that won the Stanley Cup last season.

The team confirmed the news on Thursday, announcing that Cirelli returns to Tampa Bay on a three-year contract. The agreement is worth $14.4 million, with the 23-year-old center set to earn $4.8 million per year on average.

By signing Cirelli, who played out his entry-contract in 2019-20, the Lightning managed to hold onto all of their restricted free-agents ahead of the new NHL season.

“Essentially we have everyone signed that we wanted to have signed prior to the start of the season,” said BriseBois.

The reason why the Lightning took a bit longer to tie Cirelli to a long-term deal was the team’s cap issues. Tampa Bay was projected to be $6 million over the league’s salary cap and couldn’t lock him without making some major moves. In the end, there wasn’t a need for that since the Lightning got major cap-relief due to the injury of star winger Nikita Kucherov.

Anthony Cirelli played a big role for the Lightning in 2019-20, contributing with 16 goals and 28 assists for a career-high 44 points. Cirelli added three goals and nine assists in the postseason.

The post Anthony Cirelli Agrees To Stay With Lightning Through 2022-23 NHL Season appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19, NHL successfully wrapped its 2019/20 season. And it was Tampa Bay Lightning who emerged as the team that managed the unusual situation the best, as the captured the elusive Stanley Cup on Monday night.

Lightning secured the trophy with a 2-0 win over Dallas Stars in Game 6, with Brayden Point and Blake Coleman getting on the scoreboard in the first and second periods respectively.  This was Tampa Bay’s second championship in franchise history and first since 2004.

Besides Stanley Cup, Lightning’s defenseman Victor Hedman ended up lifting the Conn Smythe Trophy as well, being crowned the playoff MVP.

“It takes a lot to be in a bubble for 80 days or whatever long it was,” said Hedman after the game. “But it’s all worth it now. We’re coming home with the Cup.”

While Hedman carried the load for Tampa Bay on the defensive end, Brayden Point was the man in charge of the offense. Point finished the postseason with playoffs-high 14 goals, while also adding 19 assists.

“The beauty of our team is everyone was chipping in,” said Point. “We got tremendous depth. We got contributions from anyone and everyone at different times, and that’s what makes this win so special.”

Tampa Bay Lightning demonstrated a dominant performance throughout the postseason, losing just one game in each of their first two rounds. They had to push to six games in Conference Finals against New York Islanders but were dominant in that series as well.

Lighting’s win gets more impressive when you realize that the team played almost the entire playoffs without their captain and one of the key players in Steven Stamkos.

“These last six weeks have been really emotional for my family and I, not only on the ice but off the ice,” said Stamkos. “I just want to say to my family: I love you guys so much. To all the friends and everyone who supported us along the way: We love you. We can’t wait to celebrate with you.”

The post Lightning Beats Stars 2-0 in Game 6 to Capture Stanley Cup appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Tampa Bay Lightning’s captain Steven Stamkos hasn’t stepped on the ice in an official NHL game since February before making an appearance against the Dallas Stars in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals. But it didn’t make any difference, as Stamkos immediately made an impact, scoring on his first shot and fueling Tampa Bay to a 5-2 win.

Stamkos underwent a core muscle surgery in March and then had another injury during training camp that further postponed his return. The 30-year-old ended up playing just three minutes against Stars, but even that was enough to count as a successful comeback.

”Just to be able to get out into a game and have an impact on a game, which a month ago may have never been possible’,’ said Stamkos after the game. ”It’s been such a long time. At this time of the year, you want to do anything you can to help your team win. I’ve watched these guys be so committed to what our end goal is, and to be part of it tonight, it was a dream come true.”

Stamkos’ goal gave the Lightning a 2-0 lead in the first quarter, while Stars cut it in half thanks to Jason Dickinson. However, inspired by their captain’s return, Tampa Bay had an even more dominant performance in the second period, scoring three goals to make it 5-1.

In the third quarter, Stars only managed to make the defeat more bearable as Miro Heiskanen set the final score of 5-2.  

With this win, Lightning took the 2-1 lead in the series. Game 4 is scheduled to take place on Friday.

The post Steven Stamkos Return Fuels Lightning to a 5-2 Win Over the Stars appeared first on SportzBonanza.

After a five-year hiatus, the Tampa Bay Lightning are headed to the Stanley Cup Final again.

Tampa Bay defeated the New York Islanders 2-1 in overtime on Thursday, winning the best-of-seven series 4-2.

The Lightning’s game-winner was netted by Anthony Cirelli 13 minutes into overtime.

Cirelli took advantage of a tired Islanders team, creeping behind them and putting himself in position to score. The pass came from Barclay Goodrow to Cirelli, who put the puck in the back of the net before anyone on the Islanders team, including goalie Semyon Varlomov, could adjust.

But the star of the game for the Lightning was goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, who put up 26 saves in the game, holding the Islanders to a single goal.

Next up in the playoff bubble in Edmonton are the Dallas Stars, who are back in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years. The Stars easily handled the Las Vegas Golden Knights, winning the series in just five games.

The last time the Lightning made it to the Stanley Cup Final they lost to the Chicago Blackhawks in 2015. Tampa Bay has one Stanley Cup title. They defeated the Calgary Flames in the 2004 final.

The post Lightning Eliminate Islanders, Will Face Stars in Stanley Cup Finals appeared first on SportzBonanza.

Dallas Stars forward Denis Gurlanov scored three minutes into overtime to lift the Stars to a 3-2 win over the Las Vegas Golden Knights, sending them to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stars eliminated the Golden Knights in five games and will represent the Western Conference in the Stanley Cup Finals for the first time in 20 years.

It has truly been a strange season for Dallas, that came with many ups and downs, making the trip to the finals even sweeter for the team and fans that have been long for the ride.

The Stars started off the season winning only one of their first nine games and ended the season with a six-game losing streak. However, they played like the best team in the league between those two strange periods of losing.

Dallas then fired their coach in December and have been led to the finals by interim coach Rick Bowness.

Gurianov’s goal in overtime came after a frantic third period in which the Stars were down 0-2. Jamie Benn and Joel Kiviranta netted two goals in the final period, taking the Stars into overtime where Gurianov would seal the deal and punch the team’s ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The Stars will face the winner of the Tampa Bay Lightning-New York Islanders series, which Tampa Bay leads 3-1.

The post Dallas Stars Headed to Stanley Cup Finals for First Time in 20 Years appeared first on SportzBonanza.