The Avs beat the Lightning in the second game of the Stanley Cup Final. There is a time and a place for it. The first game of the Stanley Cup Final was a back-and-forth affair, with the Colorado Avs winning 4-3 in overtime. The Avs jumped out to an early lead and then poured it on to win the second game by a score of 0-7. Colorado is 2-0 in the series with the next two games in Florida. We learned a lot on Saturday night and how it will affect the rest of the series. Is there anything else you can say? In the second game of the series, Colorado dominated. Colorado excelled in every facet, from 5-on-5, to special teams, to goaltending, to offense, defense, battles, races, and everything in between. The Lightning appeared so discombobulated that it was shocking. There was no point in trying anything to stop the bleeding when it was already too late. The Avalanche continued to push. The Lightning stood their ground. What does that mean for the defending champion? Is the confidence of the people of the bay cracked? Is it that the Lightning don't have the strength to compete with Colorado? The first team to realize it would be them. Even the man who was named the world's greatest hockey player had his troubles. The Avs have a plus-33 goal differential in the playoffs. The stars of the bay need to step up Steven Stamkos has not been seen enough. Neither has he done anything. The struggles of Andrei Vasilevskiy are part of the problem. The Avalanche are moving fast. Will the series change that? We will find out quickly. The loss in the second game was uncharacteristic of the Lightning. They were 9-2 in the second game of the series in 2020 and went on to win the Stanley Cup. They never gave up more than three goals in a game. Against Colorado in the second game of the series, he gave up seven goals for a.774 save percentage. The starts of those 11 games and this one were different. Nine of the 11 games the Lightning scored the first goal in. The Lightning scored the first goal in all of the playoffs. Getting on the board early could make a difference. Their start was terrible. The checking line had a good first shift, but the defenseman fumbled the puck at the blue line. The referees let a hooking call against Alex Killorn go and then turned the puck over in their own zone. The second-best power play in the playoffs was given a chance to cook when Ryan McDonagh took a hooking penalty. They went away after Valeri Nichushkin scored the first goal of the game. The first two goals of the period were scored by Cale Makar. Colorado has a lot of depth. Nathan MacKinnon, Cale Makar and Gabriel Landeskog are doing what they can. Not doing all the damage is what they are doing. They are the support staff. There are two teams in the Stanley Cup final. All seven games can be watched on ABC, Disney+, and the app. The first game was a 4-3 overtime win by the Avs.
Game 2: Avalanche 7, Lightning 0
Game 3: Monday, 8 p.m. ET (@ TB)
Game 4: June 22, 8 p.m. ET (@ TB)
Game 5*: June 24, 8 p.m. ET (@ COL)
Game 6*: June 26, 8 p.m. ET (@ TB)
Game 7*: June 28, 8 p.m. ET (@ COL)
'D' is for 'dominate'
Game 2 trends flop
Too much depth
It's possible that it's necessary.
Valeri Nushkin was Colorado's best player in the second game of the series. He was an offensive force, scoring two goals and walking through the defense to almost score a few more. After scoring the first goal, Burakovsky was the center of attention. Josh Manson scored a goal. One off a break.
The big-name stars Colorado is relying on to power through the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion are not the ones who scored two goals in the second game. It's best for the Avs that they don't need those top tier players. The more Colorado gets contributions from every line of its own the better.
Colorado got Andrew Cogliano back in the lineup on Saturday, but there's no word on whether he'll play in the Final. The players that have stepped up have been leaning on the depth of the team. Before the second game, Bednar said he wanted to keep Burakovsky in a top-six position. Bednar's instincts for when to elevate players, like putting Nichushkin on the team's top line, will continue to play a major role in keeping Colorado from falling behind.
The only way for the Bolts to slow down the attack is to have the puck more than they can. There would be less chances for the Colorado forwards and more action in front of the goalie.
The Avs had a 60-28 shot- attempt advantage in the second game. Kuemper didn't have a lot of dangerous opportunities.
The Avs' top line of Gabriel Landeskog, Nathan MacKinnon and Valeri Nichushkin did not allow a shot attempt to be made.
Steven Stamkos did not have a shot attempt in the game.
Colorado's transition game is causing problems.
Half a dozen Grade-A chances were generated in the first period from odd-man rushes. It starts with great play through the neutral zone, where the Avalanche are aggressive, breaking up plays, stealing back pucks and making quick passes that spring their fleet-footed skaters in Andrei Vasilevskiy's direction.
Colorado has a defenseman who loves to join the rush and knows when to do it. A good example of that is Helm's goal, which was created by anticipating when to make the right move and go for it. They aren't going to back off. They've succeeded in that way all season. Colorado's skaters are fast, not just on their skates, but in their decision making. Skaters are anticipating each other as a play develops. Colorado is in total sync no matter who has the puck and that's allowing them to slip behind the undressed Bolts.
If they want to go back to Denver for a fifth and final game, they will have to adjust. How is the question. Teams have been doing this for three rounds. There are many videos to review. It was different to see it live on the ice. The Lightning's task in containing them will only get harder now that the Avalanche's confidence is at an all time high.
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