TAMPA, FLA. • Nathan MacKinnon fell to the ice as the time on the clock ran out and he hugged his long time teammate and friend, Erik Johnson.

Tears streamed down MacKinnon’s face, knowing he had finally accomplished his ultimate goal: winning the Stanley Cup. And the Avalanche, which beat the Lightning 2-1 Sunday night at Amalie Arena, couldn’t have done it without their long-time leader.

He was arguably the best player on the ice Sunday night at Amalie Arena. The nine-year veteran was stellar, scoring one goal and assisting on another in the Avalanche’s Game 6 win. And for MacKinnon, he’s cemented his legacy as one of hockey’s greatest, finally hoisting the Cup.

On the biggest stage, the Avalanche’s biggest star delivered.

“I’m so happy for this guy,” coach Jared Bednar said. “He is as tough of a competitor and as driven of a guy as I’ve seen. I know how badly he wanted to win. This playoffs, for me, was a little bit of a coming out party because what I think that he learned — and I’ll have to talk to him more about it — is he didn’t have to just rack up points to be successful. He dug in in other ways within the structure, his checking game, committed all over the ice. The depth of our team helped, but I think there was a confidence that Nate had in the rest of our group. He would do whatever it takes to win.

“Phenomenal leadership. I’m really proud of the way he handled himself not just in the playoffs, but especially in the playoffs.”

MacKinnon finished the playoffs with 24 points, including a team-high 13 goals, finishing second in the Conn Smythe voting behind Cale Makar.

It was only a year ago that MacKinnon famously showed his frustration after a third-straight second-round loss. In his postgame press conference after losing to the Golden Knights, MacKinnon said, “I’m going into my ninth year next year and I haven’t won sh*t.”

This year, MacKinnon took on a new role, while still being the Avalanche’s offensive workhorse. He didn’t get frustrated during the lows of the playoffs, but instead became Colorado’s heartbeat and the leader they desperately needed. Now, he’s a Stanley Cup champion. “It’s unbelievable,” MacKinnon said. “You just love sharing it with your teammates, your brothers, my family.