2022 Stanley Cup Final: Best moments, scenes and breakdown of Colorado Avalanche-Tampa Bay Lightning Game 3

The reigning Stanley Cup champions may be on the ropes. The Tampa Bay Lightning, winners of consecutive titles, return residence, down 2-0 to the Colorado Avalanche.

It isn’t simply the two-game deficit within the Stanley Cup Closing, it is how the Avalanche have received. Colorado jumped out to early leads in each video games and, in Sport 2, completely dominated Tampa. Goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, among the best postseason goalies in NHL historical past, was blitzed for seven targets on Saturday.

The seven-goal margin in Sport 2 is the biggest shutout in a Cup Closing sport within the final 30 seasons, in response to ESPN Stats and Info. It was the third time on this postseason that Tampa had allowed 4 or extra targets after not doing so in both of the earlier two postseasons.

“Does it suck shedding a sport like that? For certain,” Tampa coach Jon Cooper mentioned. “We’re not used to it. It would not actually occur to us.”

Vasilevskiy allowed 9 targets within the first two video games of the Japanese Convention Finals in opposition to the New York Rangers and the Lightning nonetheless managed to win that sequence. So there’s nonetheless hope.

Will the house ice make a distinction or will the Colorado scoring barrage proceed? We’ll discover out in Sport 3.

Well-known followers

Colorado Rockies pitcher and Denver native Kyle Freeland stood out within the crowd as he cheered on his hometown squad.

Did anyone say ‘hen parm’?

Peanut butter and jelly. Batman and Robin. John Buccigross and hen parm. The custom of groups presenting Buccigross with the meal continued forward of Sport 3. The Lightning even bought their mascot, ThunderBug concerned.

In case you wanted a greater look, our Greg Wyshynski has you lined.

Tampa Bay is down however not out

Is the scenario superb? Nope. Is the sequence over? Removed from it. Will this Lightning hype video have Tampa Bay followers able to run by means of a wall earlier than puck drop? Most likely.