Avalanche a win away from dethroning Lightning

Controversial OT goal has then up 3-1

DENVER — Cale Makar and the Colorado Avalanche weren’t all that interested in glancing back at the simmering controversy over the way Game 4 ended in overtime.

Of way more importance was looking ahead to this: A chance to clinch the franchise’s first Stanley Cup title since 2001. In front of their home fans, too, where ticket prices have soared to more than $1,300 for an upper-level seat.

On Friday night in Game 5, Colorado has a chance to not only dethrone two-time defending champion Tampa Bay, but possibly jumpstart its own dynasty. behind a core of young, dynamic players like Makar

“It’s going to be the toughest one that we’ve had so far,” said Makar, whose team leads 3-1 in the bestof-seven series and boasts a 3-1 mark in close-out games this postseason. “We have to expect them to bring obviously everything they have at us because it’s door-die. We just have to be ready.”

Tampa Bay was unhappy with how things ended in overtime on Wednesday night. Nazem Kadri, injured thumb and all, scored the winner on a shot that slipped under the right arm of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

Tampa Bay’s gripe: The Avalanche appeared to have too many players on the ice.

A day later, Lightning coach Jon Cooper softened his stance.

“It’s unfortunate but it’s water under the bridge now,” he said. “It should be a hell of a Game 5.”

All Colorado needs is one win in three tries — two at home — for its third Stanley Cup title since relocating to Denver from Quebec in 1995-96. The Avalanche swept Florida in its inaugural season and earned title No. 2 in ’01 with a Game 7 win at home over the New Jersey Devils.

Back then, Hall of Fame forward Joe Sakic was leading the charge on the ice.

Now, his fingerprints are all over this fast-flying team as the general manager. He saw five players he picked up right before or during the season combine for five points on the tying and winning goals in Game 4. Kadri was acquired by Sakic as part of a deal with Toronto in 2019.

This is a Lightning crew that has bounced back before. Tampa Bay faced a 2-0 series deficit in the Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers before rallying. The Lightning also was down 3-2 to Toronto in the first round.

“If there’s one thing I know about this group it’s that we respond well to adversity,” Tampa Bay defenseman Victor Hedman said.