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TAMPA, Fla. – The Montreal Canadiens have come up short in their against-all-odds campaign to end Canada’s 28-year Stanley Cup drought.

The Tampa Bay Lightning successfully defended as Cup champions Wednesday, edging the Habs 1-0 at home to claim the series four games to one.

Ross Colton scored his fourth goal of the playoffs, tipping home David Savard’s pass as it drifted through the crease behind a surprised Carey Price.

The loss extends the championship deficit for the Canadiens, whose last Cup victory came at the end of the Lightning’s debut season in 1993.

Bolts netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 22 shots en route to the win, and was awarded the Conn Smythe Trophy as playoff MVP.

Canadiens goalie Carey Price made 29 saves.

Both the Habs and the Lightning went 0 for 3 on the power play.

The two sides battled in a physical, scoreless affair for 33 minutes until the Bolts ended the logjam, with Colton putting home Savard’s pass.

Tampa Bay goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy was named the Conn Smythe Trophy winner as Stanley Cup Playoffs Most Valuable Player.

(Canadian Press/Photo: Chris Johnston)