Before the start of the fight “Colorado” and “Tampas”we’ve been waiting for three years for the Stanley Cup Final, we’ve talked a lot about the big difference in the quality of the goalie teams.
If the Avalanche on the way to the series succeeded almost without the help of the goalie, since neither Darcy Kemper nor Pavel Francouz seriously dragged, then the level of play Andrei Vasilevsky and his importance to the Lightning have long been known. It is the Russian who should become the main asset of Tampa in the final.
However, that didn’t happen in the first game. The Avalanches, who had rested for eight days before the start of the final series, took control of the puck early in the game and gradually increased the pressure on the Lightning gates with the four links. Under this pressure, not only Tampa outfielders began to make mistakes, but Vasilevsky himself, who is usually distinguished by his calmness and composure:
At the start of the second period, Tampa was down 1:3, after which Vasilevsky returned to his previous form and began to pull the team up – especially in the last 15 minutes of the game, when pressure from Colorado got in the way. reaches its maximum. and the lightning bolts were practically glued to their own area.
Granted, by then the Lightning had already tied the game, allowing a striking minute midway through the second period. couple first Kucherov – Palat liquidated the main pair of Avalanche defenders Teives – Makar in a foreign zone, creating the main masterpiece of the game, then Mikhail Sergachev repeated his trick from Game 5 of the series with the Rangers, striking the door with a throw from the blue line.
Nikita Kucherov has reached 100 career assists in the playoffs. Among active players in the league, he ranks fourth in this indicator, just behind Joe Thornton (101), Evgeni Malkin (113) and Sidney Crosby (130).
Nichushkin became a key factor in the end game. The Russian, who put a lot of pressure on his opponents throughout the meeting, managed to do so at the start of extra time. Due to the activity, Nichushkin alternately covered Victor Hedman on someone else’s blue line and Mikhail Sergachevallowing Colorado to build a moving offense, then picked up the puck on the left face-off circle and made an accurate cross pass on Andre Burakowski’s shot.
The Swede did not miss and brought Colorado their first victory in the final, which became the natural outcome of the match. Yes, “Tampa” was able to impose resistance to “avalanches”, but they were more powerful and cooler. Maybe the two days off the team will have before the next fight will help the Lightning get into shape and study the opponent even more thoroughly.
NHL. Playoffs. The final. 1st game
Colorado Avalanche (Denver) – Tampa Bay Lightning (Tampa) – 4:3 OT (3:1, 0:2, 0:0, 1:0)
Goals: Landeskog, 7:47. Nichushkin, 9:23. Lehkonen, 17:31 (bol.). Burakovsky, 61:23. —Paul, 12:26. Chambers, 32:51. Sergechev, 33:39.
Series Score – 1-0
Source : MatchTV
I am Sandra Jackson, a journalist and content creator with extensive experience in the news industry. I have been working in the news media for over five years. During this time, I have worked as an author and editor at various outlets producing high-quality content that attracts readers from different demographics.
