Lightning catch fire to get back in series
So much for the notion that the Tampa Bay Lightning might be running out of gas against the speedy Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Finals. Turns out the team’s recipe for postseason success still works when the two-time defending champions incorporate all their ingredients.
Like goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy reverting to his customary stingy ways; Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov and Victor Hedman lighting up the scoresheet; and a slew of lesserknown role players contributing offensively and defensively, too.
The Lightning still trail the best-of-seven series 2-1 after bouncing back from the most lopsided playoff loss in franchise history to beat the Avalanche in Game 3. Head coach Jon Cooper is confident his team is trending in the right direction.
“I probably use this word too often, but there’s a recipe in place for us to have success. It doesn’t take a brain surgeon to see what hasn’t worked for us in games where we’ve gotten blown out and what’s worked for us in the games we’ve won. A big part of it is managing the puck,” Cooper said.
The Avalanche “are a hell of a team. You give them an inch, they’ll take a mile. So you have to take away the inches all over the ice,” Cooper added. “And if it breaks down, you hope your goalie is there to make a save for you. If you manage the puck, it all takes off from there.”
Game 4 is Wednesday night at Amalie Arena, with Colorado looking to move one win from its first Stanley Cup title since 2001 and Tampa Bay continuing its bid for the NHL’s first three-peat in nearly 40 years.
Two nights after yielding seven goals in a blowout loss, Vasilevskiy rebounded with 37 saves in a 6-2 victory Monday.
The Lightning’s depth was an asset, too, with six players scoring goals and a total of 10 appearing on the scoresheet.
Despite questions about who Colorado’s goaltender will be moving forward, the Avalanche think they’re still in control of the series. A win Wednesday night would give them a 3-1 lead heading back to Denver for Game 5 on Friday night.
“If you look at it, we are still in the driver’s seat. …We knew coming in here that it would be tough to win both games,” Colorado defenseman Erik Johnson said. NHL awards: Toronto’s Auston Matthews won the Hart Trophy as the NHL’s most valuable player Tuesday, becoming only the third Maple Leaf to win the award and the first since Ted Kennedy in 1954-55.
The 24-year-old forward received 119 first-place votes in voting by the Professional Hockey Writers Association and finished well ahead of Edmonton’s Connor McDavid and Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers for the honor presented during the NHL Awards Show.
Shesterkin claimed the Vezina Trophy as the league’s top goaltender. Colorado’s Cale Maker took the Norris Trophy, presented to the league’s best defenseman, and Detroit’s Moritz Seider claimed the Calder Trophy as the top rookie.
Dallas hies DeBoer: The Dallas Stars announced that Peter DeBoer will be their head coach, a month after he was fired by the Vegas Golden Knights.
DeBoer, who previously led New Jersey (2011-15) and San Jose (2015-20) to the Stanley Cup Finals, will replace Rick Bowness, who resigned in May.