The Tampa Bay Lightning offer for a three-peat is alive and well.
With Steven Stamkos, Nikita Kucherov, Victor Hedman and Andrei Vasilevskiy leading the way, the two star-studded defenders beat the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 on Monday night in the third game of the final. Stanley Cup.
The victory, two nights after suffering the most unbalanced defeat in the team’s playoff history, reduced the Tampa Bay series deficit to 2-1 and inspired hope for the team’s quest to convert. was the first franchise in nearly 40 years to win three consecutive NHL titles.
“There’s a reason we’re here and there’s a reason we won tonight. There’s a reason this has happened over the last two years,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. .
“The guys you have to lead have done it, and then everyone falls in line,” Cooper added. “You see Stammer’s growth and Hedman’s growth over the years, and it’s probably no coincidence that victory has followed us.”
Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Ondrej Palat each had a goal and an assist, and Lightning scored four goals in the second period to recover from a embarrassing 7-0 defeat in the second game of the best of seven.
Anthony Cirelli, Nicholas Paul and Corey Perry also scored to help Tampa Bay come back after playing poorly as they lost their first two road games. Kucherov and Hedman made two assists, and Vasilevsky stopped 37 shots.
“I don’t know why we started the series the way we did. “But either way, it’s now 2-1,” Stamkos said.
“An important part is also our goalkeeper,” Cooper added. “For him to go through what happened two nights ago and then act like he did tonight … not only that, but first they score and after the team responds and supports him, I guess that’s how it gets in the places where we have been ”.
Stamkos, Paul, Maroon and Perry scored in the second period, when the Lightning chased Colorado goalkeeper Darcy Kuemper as he drove away.
Gabriel Landeskog scored two goals and Mikko Rantanen and Cale Maker made two assists each for the Avalanche. Kuemper conceded five goals in 22 shots before being replaced by Pavel Francouz, who finished with nine stops.
The fourth game is Wednesday night at the Amalie Arena, where the Lightning have won a franchise record of eight straight playoff games and Colorado have lost on the road for the first time this postseason.
“Right now I feel like we’re still in the driver’s seat 2-1,” Avalanche star Nathan MacKinnon said. “We have to really get into Game 4, regroup, be better and stay level.”