Defending champion Lightning’s bid for 3-peat falls short

By FRED GOODALL
AP Sports Writer

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) — The Tampa Bay Lightning didn’t relinquish their stronghold on the Stanley Cup without a fight. Andrei Vasilevskiy rejected shot after shot, keeping the two-time defending champions’ quest for a three-peat alive, but another superb performance by the star goaltender wasn’t enough to keep the Colorado Avalanche from wresting the title away. The Lightning were 3-0 when facing possible elimination before Sunday night’s 2-1 loss stopped a bid to become the first team to win three consecutive Stanley Cup championships since the New York Islanders captured four in a row from 1980-83.