Ice Hockey – NHL: Colorado is just one victory away from the title

The Avalanche is almost there. For the first time since the kickoff of this Stanley Cup final, Colorado, crushed on this same ice (6-2) during game 3 – a card which had allowed the Lightning to return to 2-1 – took over Tampa Bay from Pierre-Edouard Bellemare and his teammates. A success obtained in the snatch after extra time (3-2) Wednesday evening in game 4 which allows the leader of the regular season to touch the goal. In the event of new success, the Avalanche, who have a new two-step lead (he had led 2-0 and now leads 3-1), will indeed be able to celebrate his third championship title after those obtained in 1996 and 2001. He owes it to his hero of the evening Nazem Kadri, author of the goal of the deliverance after twelve minutes in this extension while it was the double defending champions who had obtained most of the chances in this overtime before the Canadian came to air-condition the Lightning room. For a time, all of Tampa Bay hoped Kadri’s shot was finished off target.

Tampa Bay misses its chance

Indeed, the puck having finished its course between the net at the top of the goalkeeper’s cage and the upper bar of the goal, the Lightning, like the Avalanche moreover, took a few seconds before realizing that the savior’s attempt to Colorado had done well. An outcome that is all the more regrettable for Bellemare and his family as it was the double outgoing winners who had long been in the lead in this game, first opening the scoring by Cirelli in the first period and then regaining the advantage in the second period on a goal from Hedman while MacKinnon had put the two teams tied. Unfortunately for Tampa Bay, the third period saw only one team score and Cogliano allowed the Avalanche to come back together again, at 2-2 this time. In the aftermath, Kucherov, for the Lightning, had the match point on the end of his stick, but his shot hit one of the two posts and therefore left a breach for Colorado, which rushed into it. Tampa Bay can still dream of a hat-trick, but the dream slipped away on Wednesdayespecially since Friday, it is at home that the Avalanche will have the opportunity to conclude the series and win the third Stanley Cup in the franchise, 21 years after the coronation of 2001.

ICE HOCKEY – NHL / PLAY-OFFS 2022

Stanley Cup Final

COLORADO AVALANCHE (1) – TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (5): 3-1

Match 1 – Colorado avalanche – Tampa Bay Lightning: 4-3 (aet)
Match 2 – Colorado avalanche – Tampa Bay Lightning: 7-0
Match 3 – Tampa Bay Lightning – Colorado Avalanche: 6-2
Game 4 – Tampa Bay Lightning – Colorado avalanche : 2-3 (ap)
Game 5 on Friday, June 24 in Denver
Game 6 (if needed) Sunday, June 26 at Tampa Bay
Game 7 (if necessary) on Tuesday, June 28 in Denver