DENVER (AP) – Kale Although he could barely smile after scoring his second goal and seventh for Colorado tonight. He punched Miko Rantanen to thank him for the pass and threw himself on the bench.
He and Avalanche are calm, confident and rolling. Now they are two victories from the dethronement of the two-time defenders of the championship.
Looking like a far better team, Avalanche beat Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 in match 2 of the Stanley Cup final on Saturday night to take a 2-0 lead in the best of seven series.
Coach Jared Bednar called it “as close to the perfect game as you can get from your players.”
“I have a feeling that tonight we played on our identity with the letter ‘T’,” said Makar. “We had some good goals and things like that. … It was a little strange tonight. Obviously we get opportunities, but the boys managed to take advantage, so that’s a good part. “
Valery Nichushkin scored his seventh and eighth playoff goals and continued to be the best player on the ice in the final, the hero of the extra time from match 1 Andre Burakovsky defeated Andrei Vassilevsky again and even defender Josh Manson and 35-year-old grind Darren Helm had fun with more goals for everyone. Although he didn’t even hit the door in Game 1, he scored twice in the third period, provoking the chanting “We want the Cup!” From a heated crowd.
“They are playing at an elite level at the moment – give them credit. We are not, “Lightning coach John Cooper said.” They are two good teams. They are just playing at a much higher level than us at the moment. “
Rarely have Lightning been completely outdone during this post-season series of successes, but they have also not faced an opponent like Avalanche, who is forcing them to make one uncharacteristic mistake after another. Colorado has dominated every aspect of the game, averaging two wins since its first title since 2001 and the first with that core, led by Nathan McKinnon.
Avalanche go to Tampa for Match 3 on Monday night in the series, although there are no goals in the series by MacKinnon, who sometimes plays like a possessed man in an attempt to finally break through and lift the Cup. However, they became only the third team in NHL history to score three or more goals in the first period of Games 1 and 2 in the final.
“We played a pretty good game,” Helm said. “We just played a full 60-minute game.”
Dominant performance began with an early mistake by typically Lightning defender Eric Chernak when he scored the blue line in one of the first shifts of the match. Then it was Avalanche.
Their aggressive fork led them to take a penalty for veteran Ryan McDonough, the result of a powerful game that followed when Burakovsky fed Nichushkin for the first part of the evening. This was not his last, and Colorado dropped him with six of the first seven strokes of the game and complete territorial dominance with much of the game played at the end of Tampa Bay.
As Vassilevsky – whose game was the key to Lightning’s incredible ability to come back from losing in the playoffs – looked trembling and even let go of his head after allowing Although to beat him cleanly in one of many 2-on-1 attacks, Avalanche did the most much of the time on their offensive zone. The team with the highest score this postseason made a clinic against the team that has played more hockey than anyone else in the last two years.
This can finally be reflected and exacerbated by the blazing speed with which Avalanche is playing. Again, they not only overtook Lightning, but used quick legs to force mistakes that turned into goals.
“We came out with a goal,” said striker Andrew Collano, who returned after missing Match 1 with a right finger injury. “We got to our game, we skated from the fall of the puck and we just didn’t give up.”
Tampa Bay fell to 18-2 after losing the first round in 2020. The 18-game streak ended in the Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers, when Lightning trailed 2-0 before returning, though difficult to see Colorado fall into the same trap.
The way Lightning lost this one – their biggest loss during this run – was a surprise to almost everyone.
“Am I shocked that we lost the 7-zip?” Lightning captain Stephen Stamkos said. “I mean, I don’t think we’ve seen that come.”
Even if players reject the concept of momentum from game to game during the playoff series, their chase over the champions, combined with a 7-0 road record, must fulfill the Avalanche with confidence. But they may have to dive into their depths again due to injuries.
After bringing back Andrew Collano from a missed start to the season with a right toe injury, Avalanche lost to Burakowski again in the second period. Burakowski blocked a shot in the first match of the West finals and has been playing in pain ever since. Bednar said he would be re-evaluated before match 2.
Colorado is causing a lot of pain to Tampa Bay, which resorts to some harsh things after falling behind. Of course, even MacKinnon scored in the third period, although the game was well organized.
Darcy Kumper was barely tested in the Colorado net, lifting off with 17 saves.
“He was just healthy,” Manson said. “He was exactly what we were supposed to be.”
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