Valeri Nichushkin helped the Colorado Avalanche to a primary Stanley Cup since 2001
Russian winger Valeri Nichushkin is a Stanley Cup champion after serving to the Colorado Avalanche end the job in Sport 6 of their collection in opposition to two-time defending champion the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The Avalanche earned a 2-1 victory at Tampa’s Amalie Enviornment residence on Sunday night time, clinching a primary Stanley Cup since 2001 and a 3rd title in group historical past.
Winger Artturi Lehkonen scored the game-winning purpose for the Avs simply after the midway mark of the second interval.
In search of a historic ‘threepeat’ of titles, Tampa Bay had taken the lead lower than 4 minutes into the sport by way of captain Steven Stamkos.
However star Avalanche middle Nathan MacKinnon tied the rating at 1:54 of the second interval, earlier than Lehkonen pushed the Avs in entrance for a lead which they didn’t relinquish to seal the collection Four-2.
It was disappointment for the Bolts’ Russian trio of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, defenseman Mikhail Sergachev, and winger Nikita Kucherov – every of whom had been in search of a 3rd successive Stanley Cup title.
However there was pleasure for compatriot Nichushkin within the Colorado ranks because the 27-year-old celebrated a primary NHL crown of his profession.
Nichushkin has greater than performed his half within the finals for the Avs as he approaches free company this summer season, with a possible transfer away from the group he joined from the Dallas Stars in 2019.
The precise winger celebrated success by stripping off for a locker room photograph with a ‘Stanley Cup Champions’ belt round his waist, additionally sharing footage of himself consuming from the well-known trophy.
Nichushkin’s half in Colorado’s victory signifies that at the very least one Russian participant has been on the Stanley Cup-winning group for the previous seven seasons in a row.
Avs defensive star Cale Makar received the 2022 Conn Smythe Trophy as probably the most useful participant of the playoffs.
Successful Colorado coach Jared Bednar revealed he had a sense his group would reply after the Three-2 defeat they’d suffered in Sport 5 on residence ice in Denver on Friday night time.
“I had a reasonably good feeling about tonight as a result of they [the players] known as that assembly and people guys mentioned what they mentioned,” mentioned Bednar.
“I used to be actually impressed that our guys [did that] to attempt to recover from [Game 5] mentally and focus on what was occurring at residence and switch the web page and prepare.
“After that assembly, you would simply sort of really feel a way of aid, among the nervous rigidity that we had at residence [was gone] and the main target was again.”
The contrasting feelings have been on show for defeated goalie Vasilevskiy as he was seen taking out his anger within the tunnel after the sport.
Bolts captain Stamkos vowed that his group would bounce again, asking: “Who mentioned we’re carried out?”
“This core is right here. We’ve battled. We have been by way of every part you possibly can consider and, for probably the most half, we’ve discovered a strategy to come out on prime.”
Tampa coach Jon Cooper was equally defiant whereas praising the Avs.
“It’s not like we misplaced to some powder puff,” mentioned Cooper.
“That’s a baller group over there. We by no means had residence ice. We performed all these star-studded groups. They discovered a approach. We simply bumped into yet one more brick wall, and we simply couldn’t get by way of this one.”
Regardless of falling quick of their bid for a primary NHL ‘threepeat’ because the New York Islanders famously received 4 in a row at the beginning of the 1980s, Cooper mentioned his group had already etched their names into the historical past books.
“These guys are proper up there with the 1980s Islanders and the Oilers. Groups that you simply speak about for many years.”
Though custom dictates that members of the successful group similar to Nichushkin are in a position to parade the Stanley Cup of their residence nation throughout a summer season tour, the NHL has already mentioned that received’t be the case in Russia this yr because of the battle in Ukraine.
READ MORE: NHL confirms Russian Stanley Cup ban