Stanley’s cup was in the building. The fans were buzzing. Colorado Avelanch were on the brink of the third league.
Then the game began and Tampa Bay Lightning showed resilience, which led them to consecutive Cups and Game 6 in their quest for three-peat. Their 3-2 win shocked some forecasters and we have at least one more hockey game this season.
As the series returns to Tampa for the next race (8 ET Sunday, ABC and ESPN +), here are our biggest conclusions, looking at what all this means for the rest of the series.
From agony to irony
The lightning ended match 4 at its lowest point in the playoffs. Nazem Kadri scored after extra time to give Avalanche a 3-2 victory and a 3-1 series lead. Coach John Cooper noted in his press conference that Avalanche missed too many men on the ice penalty in the game.
“My heart breaks for the players. Because we probably still have to play,” he said.
Lightning will play again in Tampa on Sunday night in Game 6, their hopes for three peats still alive, partly because Colorado lost two valuable minutes towards the end of the third period, trailing by a goal because – you guessed it – they were called up for too much men on the ice.
You can’t think of that.
This left Avalanche with only 43 seconds in the regulations to try to equalize the match, which they failed to do. The Stanley Cup remained in its case.
Employees probably paid extra attention after being notified by Cooper. “Greg Wiszynski.”
Lost and won opportunity
Colorado did not win the Stanley Cup on home ice. Tampa Bay won another chance to play theirs.
The night looked ominously similar to Game 4. The lightning took the lead at the beginning with Jan Rutta’s first goal for the postseason, and Avs responded with a shot by Valery Nichushkin in the second.
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Tampa Bay took the lead again with Nikita Kucherov’s marker – after two previous unsuccessful attempts for an advantage – then Kale Makar equalized in the third.
Then the real back and forth began. After a physical second period, the third gave way to more speed and skill.
Ondrej Palat’s result was a great example of how the ice shifted. He reached the net and challenged Darcy Kumper up close. 3-2 Flash. The avalanche dominated the offensive zone for the next few shifts to try to return for the last time.
Coach Jared Bednar said before Game 5 that Colorado would have the urgency to match what Tampa Bay brought. The problem was that the Avalanche increased in intensity a little too late.
Tampa Bay has a difficult building in which to win at the best time. Now that Lightning have more life, what will Colorado do to shut them down? Just because Avalanche has two chances to close Tampa Bay doesn’t mean they want to extend the experience longer than necessary.
And Cumper? He showed his best performance for the postseason in Game 4. Colorado will need this to cope with the heat that Andrei Vassilevski is currently in control of. “Kristen Shilton.”
Good start, great Lightning
Lightning defined the first 10 minutes of Game 5 as absolutely key and rightly so. In Game 1 and Game 2 in Denver, they lost by several goals after the first half of the starting period.
“Colorado, they have a great audience,” Cooper said before the game. “The energy in the building is great. They are powered by the first five, 10 minutes and you really need to be engaged in your game. Because then they start to gain momentum and unfortunately they scored early in these matches. So that got us on our heels and made us chase the game a bit. For me, this is a major part of tonight, making sure we are the ones trying to push here instead of against us. “
The good news for Lightning was that, unlike their first two games in Denver, they were not left with a few goals until the middle of the opening period.
The bad news was that they spent 40% of those minutes in power play and had nothing to show for it, receiving only two shots on goal.
The best news: In the end, they scored the first goal at 15:21 of the first period, when Jan Ruta defeated Darcy Kuemper.
The result first allowed Lightning to reach their game and warn Avalanche that Game 5 will not have sloping ice from the first two games in Denver. – Vishinsky
Upcoming adjustments
Colorado took a 2-0 lead over Tampa Bay in this series, maximizing their skills and speed.
Game 5 was a good example of how things have changed since then.
Lightning not only blocks shots in front of the net and takes away shooting lanes, but is a much tighter team through the neutral zone. The harder it was to give a preliminary check on Tampa Bay, the fewer answers Colorado had, especially during the first two periods. Even the breakthroughs of Avalanche seemed to be affected by the relentless pressure.
So what will Colorado do about it? The third period of Game 5 may contain some answers.
The advantage of the Avalanche is the speed and lack of hesitation in moving the ice up. Tampa Bay was on its heels against Avalanche’s quick passes in the last 20 minutes.
It wasn’t the only time Friday saw Colorado look dangerous, but the third period was their best by far because it demonstrated the speed that Tampa Bay was challenged by most in the series.
If Avalanche need a roadmap on how to play Game 6, they should study this video from the third period. All the answers are there. “Shilton.”
Finally, the game of power strikes
Lightning’s struggle for power is one of the defining aspects of the series.
Colorado Avelanch and Tampa Bay Lightning face the Stanley Cup final. You can watch all seven games on ABC, ESPN + and in the ESPN app.
Game 1: Avalanche 4, Lightning 3 (OT) Game 2: Avalanche 7, Lightning 0 Game 3: Lightning 6, Avalanche 2 Game 4: Avalanche 3, Lightning 2 (OT) Game 5: Lightning 3, Avalanche 2 Game 6, 8 June pm ET (@TB) Match 7 *: 28 June, 20:00 ET (@ COL)
*If necessary
“I think we would like to get into the power game, we would like to be more productive,” said winger Alex Killorn.
They entered game 5 after coming out 1 to 14 with a male advantage. After the first period it was 1 against 16.
Then hit at the right time.
Killarn and JT Compher of Colorado were in the penalty area when the referee played to Makar for a penalty. This gave the game Lightning power what it needed: a 4 on 3 man advantage. With this time and this space the group calmed down and Kucherov’s goal gave Tampa Bay a 2-1 lead.
It was worth the wait. – Vishinsky
Nothing about Nichushkin
If Although was the expected star of Colorado in the Cup final, Nichushkin was the surprising performer of Avalanche.
He seemed to get better with each game and stood out again on Friday.
Nichushkin not only scored Colorado’s first goal to level the game 1-1 in the second period, but also used his large body to push Lightning off the puck and try to match Tampa Bay’s physical strength in the midfield. Nichushkin’s four goals also lead all skaters to the Cup final.
Nichushkin is a stubborn forechaker and continues to improve his game in this area. He stole puck back in the offensive zone to keep the line and keep the game alive, while too many of his teammates handed out puck in the neutral zone.
It was also Nichushkin who created a 2-on-1 chance to attack at the end of the second period. He was everywhere for the Avalanche.
It is difficult to say what exactly has changed so positively for Nichushkin in this Cup final. But it is clear that the sleeping giant has woken up. In the absence of Andre Burakovski and with Nazem Kadriz still obviously not 100%, Nichushkin’s contribution was even more noticeable. Can he continue to be the one making a difference as the series moves back to Tampa? The momentum is on the side of Lightning now. The Avalanche will be looking for great performances from permanent artists like Nichushkin. “Shilton.”
Andrew Palace, also known as Mr. Clutch
Earlier in the playoffs, a reporter asked Pat Maroon about the value of Ondrej Palat as the unsung hero of the playoffs – a player who is not a star but rises big.
Big Rig frowned at the suggestion. “Who says it’s not a star? You? We think it’s a star.”
In the playoffs, he is essentially a superstar. Palat’s goal in 13:38 from the third period gave the Lightning a 3-2 lead. This was his 11th goal in the playoffs, most of which were quite impressive. The first goal in game 6 against Maple Leafs. The player with an empty net to end the game against the Florida Panthers. His series of three games against the New York Rangers, in which he scored all three in the third period – two of which are winners.
Then the season-saving calculation for Lightning in Game 5 in Denver to keep the hopes of three peat alive.
He is currently a candidate for Conn Smythe. – Vishinsky
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