![]() This time, Vinik gave his congratulatory speech to the team in person. And then we actually got to go onto the ice and enjoy the celebrations with the Cup.” “We were thrilled to be able to witness this in front of our home fans and the community. “It’s kind of a magical moment,” Vinik said. When the series ended with a 1-0 Lightning victory, corks were popped and glasses were passed both within the owner’s suite and to fans sitting nearby. Vinik still had champagne ready and waiting in his suite for Game 5. “This year, I’d say it wasn’t till the final round that I felt like it was to going to happen.” “Last year, from the second round on, I had a really good feeling, and I think we rolled other teams easier,” Vinik said. He knew his team was on the cusp of winning its second straight championship, even after a Game 4 loss in Montreal, but he had told himself throughout the playoffs that any certainty of a repeat would have to wait until the final buzzer of a clinching game. He says he went into Game 5 of the Final without any assumptions. It’s a reality that made the 2021 championship even sweeter for the team, its players and the region as a sell-out crowd counted down the clock in a closeout game that capped a rare back-to-back Stanley Cup victory.įor Vinik, there was another difference this year. ![]() They watched, some of them together, but the 2020 championship run was a television show more than an experience. ![]() The distance was felt by many with ties to the organization, as well as Lightning fans and businesses in the Tampa Bay area. ![]()
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