For a moment there it really seemed like Tampa Bay would win its third Stanley Cup in a row, and we’d be looking at all the same beards on all the same people. But the Colorado Avalanche got ‘em in six, and looked great doing it — in fact, they were pretty fearsome the whole way. They swept the Predators, took out the Blues in six, swept the Oilers (after they blitzed my Flames), and then downed the champs in six. And then dented the cup:

Congrats, boys! If none of this household’s teams could win it, then I’m glad it wasn’t one of our archrivals. Ahem, Edmonton.

[Photos: Phelan M Ebenhack/AP/Shutterstock, Christian Petersen, Bruce Bennett, Julio Aguilar/Getty Images, Dave Sandford/NHLI via Getty Images]