DENVER – Ondrey Palace broke a draw with 6:22 left in the third period, and Tampa Bay Lightning kept alive its offer for three peats with a 3-2 victory against Colorado Avelanch in game 5 of the Stanley Cup final at the Ball Arena on Friday.
Palat’s single shot between the circles rattled between Darcy Kumper’s pads before sliding over the goal line.
Jan Ruta and Nikita Kucherov scored, Corey Perry and Mihail Sergachev had two assists each, and Andrey Vassilevski made 35 saves for the two-time defending champion Svetkavitsa.
“You’re down in the series, the Cup is in the building, you’re in a great environment for the home team,” said Tampa Bay coach John Cooper. “And how do you show mastery in the game?” You do everything you just did. You get the lead, you defend, you take penalties, you get into the game by force, and then when you need the big goal at the end, you get it. “
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Valery Nichushkin and Cale McCarre had a goal and an assist, and Kumper made 26 saves for Avalanche, which led 3-2 in the best of 7 series with another chance to close it in Game 6 in Tampa Bay on Sunday.
“It doesn’t have to be easy and it won’t be easy,” said Colorado captain Gabriel Landeskog. “We knew that by getting into it, we knew that by coming tonight. … Vassilevski had another good night. We felt good in our game, we leveled it in the third and then apparently they created a slot shot there that goes through ‘Kuemps.’
“So that’s what it is. A short memory in the playoffs and that’s what we’re going to do.”
Video: TBL @ COL, Gm5: Palat gives Lightning a 3-2 lead in the 3rd
The Lightning is trying to become the second team in NHL history to win 3-1 behind to win the Cup final with the best score of 7 (1-35). The Toronto Maple Leafs returned 3-0 against the Detroit Red Wings in the 1942 final. Tampa Bay fell 3-2 against Toronto in the first round of the Eastern Conference and 2-0 against the New York Rangers in the conference final.
“We’re extending the season and that’s what we wanted to do,” said Lightning captain Stephen Stamkos. “We talked about one match at a time. It was difficult, but we found a way. It’s a big effort and now we have to do it again.”
Rutta gave Lightning a 1-0 lead of 4:37 to the left in the first period with pressure from a right-footed shot that went under Kuemper’s glove and over his left pad. It was the defender’s first goal in 18 playoff games for the Stanley Cup since Match 3 in the Cup final against the Montreal Canadiens last season.
“It was just a little drum,” Kumper said. “It’s happening. You’re doing things the right way, that’s all you can do. You obviously don’t want to allow any goals. But it’s happening.”
Nichushkin equalized 1-1 with a rebound of 5:07 in the second period. Makar’s initial shot from above the right circle hit Vassilevski in the left shoulder and fell to the top of the crease on the right. Nichushkin was there to throw the puck into the net for his fourth goal in the final.
Video: TBL @ COL, Gm5: Kucherov one-time 4-on-3 PPG off post
Tampa Bay took a 2-1 lead after Kucherov’s 4-on-3 goal at 8:10 of the second. After defender Josh Manson blocked Stamkos and Kucherov’s shots earlier in the power play, Stamkos faked a left-circle shot before giving Kucherov a one-shot from the high slot that went through Perry’s screen in front and past Kuemper’s side. stick.
Lightning were 1-with-16 in the strength of the game in the series before.
“I just knew that if I could forge, they would give a tape to play and, obviously, they would give it to Kuch, and he didn’t make a mistake,” Stamkos said. “But it was a big moment in the game. You get a 4-on-3, you want to take advantage, and we can also get confidence from that.”
Although he equalized 2-2 at 2:31 on the third, when the rebound of his shot from the right circle deviated from the skate of Lightning defender Eric Chernak in front. But Tampa Bay was not bothered by the unfortunate vacation.
“He came out of our skate and into the net,” Perry said. “Bounces happen, but at the same time you have to create your own bounces and just a few minutes later or whatever, when we found a way to put one in the back of the net.”
Lightning patiently moved the puck in the Avalanche area before Palat managed to slide back into the open ice between rounds as Makar and Nichushkin chased defender Victor Hedman at the bottom of the left circle. Hedman quickly fed Palace for his best lightning 11th goal of the postseason.
“I was just trying to open up and get a little lost and I saw ‘Hedy’ and he saw me, so it was easy for me to take pictures,” Palat said. “I’m just trying to do it once and luckily it came in.”
NOTES: Palat scored his 12th playoff game of his career in the NHL, adding to his Lightning record. Joe Pavelski of Dallas Stars (14) and Evgeni Malkin of Pittsburgh Penguins (13) are the only active players with more. … Avalanche striker Andre Burakowski missed a third consecutive match after being hit in the arm with the puck in match 2. … Lightning Center Brayden Point missed a third consecutive match with an injury to the lower body.
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