Tampa Bay Beat Montreal to Retain Stanley Cup

Tampa Bay Lightning's Steven Stamkos hoists the Stanley Cup after the team's 1–0 victory against the Montreal Canadiens in Game 5 of the NHL hockey Stanley Cup Finals in Tampa, Fla., on July 7, 2021. Bruce Bennett/Pool Photo via AP

The Tampa Bay Lightning became only the third back-to-back Stanley Cup champions in the last quarter of a century with a 1–0 win over the visiting Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday.

The Lightning clinched the best-of-seven series 4–1 in front of a packed arena to end a magical run by Montreal, who were Canada’s latest hope of ending the ice hockey-mad country’s longest Stanley Cup drought.