Colorado must have heard my criticism against their Game 1 performance as tonight they showed the Tampa Bay Lightning absolutely no mercy. Putting up 7 goals against that Tampa defense and Andrei Vasilevskiy is not easy. Doing it in a 7-0 domination is unheard of.
The Avalanche had the chances last game to go up by 3 or 4 goals while Tampa was barely hanging on in 1st period. However, the Avs let the Lightning off easy as they lost their stranglehold on the game. They didn’t make that mistake tonight.
Colorado was in control of this game from the first minute to the last minute, not allowing Tampa to even step on the ice without showing their dominance. Everything they tried offensively was clicking against Tampa’s defense. Colorado scored on the powerplay, short-handed, 5 v. 5, on a breakaway, on rebounds, and on odd man rushes.
Their speed and depth totally outclassed any resistance Tampa tried applying defensively. With goals from Darren Helm, Josh Manson, and Andre Burkovsky, the Avs forward depth and defense took this game beyond any offensive capabilities of Tampa Bay’s depth and defense could match.
Though, it was not only Colorado’s depth that was scoring tonight, but also their stars. Cale Makar and Valeri Nichushkin contributed to half of Colorado’s goals (two each), while the stars of Tampa Bay were ice cold and quiet.
I’m not sure what else to say about the Avalanche tonight. They were so utterly, totally superior to the Lightning that it’s almost impossible to come up with any criticism or warning the Avalanche should have for Game 3.
The only thing the Avalanche should really beware of is a rabid, desperate Tampa Bay performance in Game 3. Tampa Bay will come out swinging in a must-win game for them. But even as I write that, I can’t help but think the Avalanche will be able to overcome the Lightning in at least one of the next two games in Tampa Bay. When the Avalanche are playing to their absolute best, they have shown that they are too fast, too physical, and too determined for the Lightning to match.
As long as the Avalanche don’t get complacent, they will win the Stanely Cup. Their speed, size, and physicality has been too much for the Lightning to overcome thus far. If they win at least one of the next three games, the Avs will be topple the Lightning dynasty and be crowned new Stanley Cup Champion.
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