Avs face goaltending questions as Lightning rebounds
The Colorado Avalanche didn’t come into this Stanley Cup Final expecting to dominate the goaltending battle against one of the best netminders in the world in Tampa Bay’s Andrei Vasilevskiy.
The Avalanche just needed solid goaltending to have a true shot at its first title since 2001, letting its skilled skaters do the majority of the work. However, when Colorado starting goaltender Darcy Kuemper was pulled in the second period of Game 3 after letting in five goals, questions about Colorado’s longevity in the series started to sneak in.
With Colorado clinging to a 2-1 series lead, the Avalanche is faced with a goalie controversy headed into Game 4 Wednesday night at Amalie Arena. Colorado coach Jared Bednar refused to name his Game 4 starter on Tuesday and said after Game 3 that they would evaluate everything in net.
Kuemper allowed five goals on 22 shots before being replaced by Pavel Francouz, who recorded nine saves on 10 shots. Kuemper had a couple of good point-blank saves early but was unable to make the saves when it mattered most.
“[Kuemper] didn’t have a good night. Neither did our team,” Bednar said after Colorado’s 6-2 loss. “We win as a team, lose as a team. I’m going to group him in with everyone else. Just wasn’t as good as we needed to be.”
Kuemper has been Colorado’s main starter for most of the season, but Francouz was solid as a backup, posting a .916 save percentage and a 2.55 goals against average. And when Kuemper suffered an upper-body injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals against Edmonton, Francouz held strong in net, helping the Avalanche win four straight in a sweep.
Still, despite Francouz’s
efforts, Bednar went back to Kuemper as the starter for Game 1 of the Cup Final. Kuemper delivered in the first two games and stopped all 16 shots he faced in Colorado’s 7-0 win in Game 2.
Bednar praised Kuemper’s efforts after Game 1, and his teammates aren’t worried about him.
“Fully confident [he can
bounce back],” defenseman Josh Manson said. “He’s in the National Hockey League for a reason. He’ll bounce back.”
On the flip side, Vasilevskiy played outstanding in Game 3 and regained his form after he let in all seven Colorado goals in Game 2. Vasilevskiy made 37 saves in Game 3. Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said the goalie’s composure can be attributed to his experience and mental growth in the league.
“Any time a goal goes in, everybody’s looking at him and … I think the gift of him that’s made him great is the ability to turn the page,” Cooper said. Injury notes: Cooper said Tampa Bay forward Nikita Kucherov is expected to play in Game 4. He left late in Game 3 after taking a hard cross-check from Colorado defenseman Devon Toews. … Colorado forward Andre Burakovsky, who was injured in the second period of
Game 2, had yet to join the team in Tampa as of Tuesday afternoon.
HUBERDEAU MAKES SECOND TEAM
After a record-setting season, Jonathan Huberdeau once again earned some postseason recognition Tuesday.
For the second straight year, the left wing is a second-team NHL All-Star at the end of the season.
Huberdeau set the NHL’s single-season record for assists by a left wing with 85, and set franchise records with 115 points and 85 assists. The 27-year-old Canadian also finished fifth in voting for the Hart Memorial Trophy after finishing tied for second in the NHL in points and leading the league in assists.
Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews won the Hart Trophy on Tuesday at the NHL Awards. The league also announced its end-ofseason All-Star team — its version of an all-league team — at the event.