The Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3 in overtime in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 2022.
There wasn't much excitement in the second game, with the Avs taking an early lead and then going on a 7-0 run to win.
Colorado leads the series 2-0 going into the final two games, which will be played in Tampa. On Saturday night, we learned a lot, and we'll see how it affects the rest of the series.
When it comes to dominance, "D" stands for "Dominant"
How much more can you say?
Game 2 was a rout for Colorado over Tampa Bay. Colorado was superior in every facet of the game, including 5-on-5 play, special teams, goaltending, offense, defense, battles, and races. The Lightning's disarray was startling, in a strange sort of way. None of Tampa Bay's attempts to stem the tide of losses appeared to be successful.
The Avalanche persisted in its ascent. The Lightning did not respond.
That means something for the defending champions as the series moves to their home ground. Has the faith in Tampa Bay been shaken? Alternatively, could it be that the Lightning lack the stamina to keep up with Colorado? Not for the first time, a club in the playoffs has come to this conclusion in the past. Even Connor McDavid was not immune to the pressures of the NHL. Plus-33 goals in the playoffs is a record for the Avs, who are presently 14-2.
One of Colorado's top players, Valeri Nichushkin, was on display during the second game. He scored two goals and walked through Tampa Bay's defense to get close to a few more, making him an offensive force to be reckoned with. As soon as Andre Burakovsky put the game away with the first goal, the Lightning were all over him. Manson's goal came on a fast break. He scored from the breakaway.
For Colorado, these aren't the big-name players they need to beat the two-time defending Stanley Cup winners (yes, Makar did score twice in Game 2 but Colorado was already up 5-0 by then). For the Avs, it's a good thing that they don't regularly rely on top-tier players. In the long run, the more Colorado is able to stop Tampa Bay's best skaters and rely on their own lines, the better.
No word yet on whether or not Nazem Kadri will be able to play in the Final for the Colorado Avalanche. In his absence, the Avalanche will continue to rely on the depth of their roster, which has already shown signs of stepping up. Prior to Game 2, Avs coach Jared Bednar made it clear that retaining Burakovsky in the top six was a priority. Colorado's ability to keep Tampa Bay on its toes will be aided by players with the instincts of Bednar, who elevated Nichushkin to the team's top line. Shilton, Tex.
Problems with ownership
The Lightning's sole hope of slowing down the Avalanche's offense is to retain the puck for longer than they can. Colorado's forwards would have fewer opportunities and Darcy Kuemper would have more action in front of him.
In Game 2, the Avalanche outshot the Wild 60-28. Few (if any) serious opportunities were involved in Kuemper's shutout.
The Avs' top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon, and Valeri Nichushkin did not allow a Lightning shot attempt in 8:43 of even-strength ice time.
While Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov each took one shot at the net, the game was a shooting blank for the other. In the words of Wyshynski:
Running as fast as I can.
Buccaneers struggle to adjust against Colorado's quick transition game.
One goal by Josh Manson was the result of Colorado's odd-man rushes, which yielded six Grade-A opportunities in the first period. The Avalanche are active in the neutral zone, breaking up plays, snatching back pucks, and making rapid passes that send their skaters in the path of Andrei Vasilevskiy.
As seen by Colorado's Manson, defensemen love to join the rush and know just when to do so. That's also how Darren Helm scored his goal; he created his own odd-man opportunity just by predicting when to make the perfect play and went for it. Darren Helm Avalanche don't take no for an answer. Their success this year has been a direct result of this strategy. The skaters in Colorado are very quick, both on and off the ice. As a play progresses, skaters develop a level of anticipation for one another. Colorado has been able to gain ground on the (often naked) Lightning because they are in perfect rhythm no matter who gets the puck.
The Buccaneers will have to make some adjustments if they intend to return to Denver for Game 5. (and beyond). It's a matter of how. For the past three rounds, the Rockies have been treating their opponents in this manner. Hundreds of hours of footage await evaluation. It's been quite a different experience, however, to witness it in action. The Avalanche's confidence should be skyrocketing now, making the Lightning's job even more difficult. Shilton, Tex.
When the chips are down, Tampa Bay's studs must step up. Steven Stamkos and Nikita Kucherov haven't been making enough of an impact. Victor Hedman, on the other hand, has not. When it comes to the Lightning, Andrei Vasilevskiy is a major contributor to the team's woes.
The Avalanche is rolling and the Lightning is unraveling at the same time. Will the series' momentum change as a result? We're going to find out quickly. Kristen Shilton, the author.
The second game's trends had turned against it.
The Lightning's Game 2 loss was uncharacteristically bad for them.
It was the start of their Stanley Cup run back-to-back that they were 9-2 in the second game of a series dating back to 2020. They had never surrendered more than three goals in any of their 11 games. In those games, Andrei Vasilevskiy had a save percentage of.938; in Game 2, he allowed seven goals for a save percentage of.774.
However, there was another huge difference between the Lightning in those 11 games and this one: their beginnings. It was the Lightning that opened the scoring nine times out of the 11 games. To date, the Lightning have a 6-game winning streak when they score first in the postseason. In this case, getting on the board early may have made all the difference.
Instead, they had a terrible start. Defenseman Erik Cernak fumbled the puck at the blue line after his checking line had a good first shift. Referees let a hooking call on the Avalanche against Alex Killorn go while the Lightning twice turned the puck over in their own zone. The second-best playoff power play (31.3 percent efficiency) got a chance to shine when defenseman Ryan McDonagh was whistled for hooking just 1:01 into the game.
Valeri Nichushkin's goal at 2:54 of the first period gave the Avalanche a 1-0 lead, and they were on their way. In the words of Greg Wyshynski:
Depth is too much
Compared to Tampa Bay, Colorado's depth is overwhelming. Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog aren't slacking off, but neither is Nathan MacKinnon. They're not causing the majority of the harm.
The support staff of the Avalanche is.
