Avalanche beat Lightning in OT to open Stanley Cup Final
DENVER (AP) — Andre Burakovsky scored 1:23 into time beyond regulation and the Colorado Avalanche opened the Stanley Cup Ultimate with a 4-3 victory over the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday night time.
Burakovsky ended it after the Avalanche failed to attain on an influence play that started late in regulation when three-time champ Patrick Maroon put the puck over the glass. Burakovsky is certainly one of solely two Avalanche gamers who’ve gained the Cup.
“He’s been taking part in effectively currently, and he certain deserves it,” winger Mikko Rantanen mentioned. “He has an amazing shot and total a pleasant play.”
The sport probably wouldn’t have even reached OT if not for giant penalty kills by the Avalanche, who have been 3 for 3 towards Tampa Bay’s potent energy play. The ultimate kill featured a vital save by goaltender Darcy Kuemper and a sequence of clears by Norris Trophy finalist defenseman Cale Makar.
An earlier kill constructed momentum for Colorado, which opened the scoring on captain Gabriel Landeskog’s objective 40 seconds after Josh Manson’s penalty expired. Manson — certainly one of common supervisor Joe Sakic’s costly commerce deadline pickups — greater than made up for a holding the stick minor with some large hits.
The Avalanche’s different deadline acquisition additionally stored up his knack for scoring key targets. Artturi Lehkonen had their third objective of the primary interval after Valeri Nichuskin scored the second as a part of a dominant efficiency all around the ice.
“Enormous X-factor,” coach ared Bednar mentioned. “He’s been doing that sort of factor for us for a pair years now.”
Tampa Bay’s newest additions additionally performed a significant function, with Nick Paul outracing Colorado defenseman Jack Johnson to a unfastened puck for a objective within the first that restricted the injury and stored the defending champs within the sport. Brandon Hagel, who has been banged up and was a query mark to play, bought overwhelmed to a unfastened puck by Landeskog, an uncharacteristic objective for reigning playoff MVP Andrei Vasilevskiy to surrender by letting the preliminary shot sneak by means of underneath his left arm.
In one other instance of what has made the Lightning the NHL’s greatest workforce over the previous three years, they turned the tide within the second interval with targets by Ondrej Palat and Mikhail Sergachev 48 seconds aside. That set the stage for the primary of what needs to be many unbelievable finishes in a sequence between evenly matched opponents.
“There’s some optimistic indicators for us on this sport,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper mentioned. “However the fitting workforce gained the sport, so give them credit score for pulling it out.”
The sector was rocking from the beginning of warmups for the primary Stanley Cup Ultimate sport within the metropolis in 2001 — additionally the final yr the Avalanche gained the Stanley Cup, with Sakic serving as captain. Followers chanted, “We wish the Cup!” all through the leadup and at instances through the sport, which was a showcase of the high-scoring hockey that has been the usual all season.
Tampa Bay’s most prolific goal-scorer from every of the previous two title runs was again, with heart Brayden Level returning to play his first sport since injuring his proper leg a month in the past.
Colorado has a sequence lead regardless of taking part in with out forwards Nazem Kadri (proper thumb) and Andrew Cogliano (proper hand), who have been injured final sequence in a sweep of Edmonton within the Western Convention last.
The Avalanche swept Nashville within the first spherical, as effectively, and dispatched rival St. Louis in six earlier than taking out Connor McDavid and the Oilers. If something, Sport 1 towards the Lightning confirmed this sequence gained’t be simple for both workforce.
I don’t assume by a rustic mile we gave them our greatest sport,“ Cooper mentioned. “To beat a workforce like that, we have to have higher in us.”
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Observe AP Hockey Author Stephen Whyno on Twitter at https://twitter.com/SWhyno
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