The Backcheck: Lightning win streak ends in Colorado on Tuesday | Tampa Bay Lightning

Forwards Zemgus Girgensons, Yanni Gourde and Pontus Holmberg pinned Colorado in their own defensive zone early on a shift that ended with Nikita Kucherov taking the ice, forcing a turnover behind the Avalanche net and snagging a 1-0 lead for the visitors just 97 seconds into the game.

Kucherov stopped a Cale Makar clearing attempt behind the net and then wrapped the puck around the net to beat Colorado goalie Scott Wedgewood to the right post.

A pair of Lightning penalties less than three minutes apart saw Colorado even the score. Despite Tampa Bay killing the first Avalanche power play 10:47 into the period, a too many men on the ice penalty against the visitors ended with the 1-1 tally.

Forward Victor Olofsson potted the rebound following Nathan MacKinnon’s initial shot on the power play with 6:09 left in the first period.

Olofsson’s second goal of the game gave the Avalanche their first lead 4:08 into the second period, this time firing home a shot after teammate Jack Drury’s initial shot attempt rolled off his tape.

Former Bolt Ross Colton extended the Avalanche lead to 3-1 when he snuck behind the Lightning defense for a backhand breakaway goal 1:13 later.

“Maybe a lack of focusing a little bit,” defenseman Charle-Edouard D’Astous said of the rapid goals against. “It was two (where) we let our guy go and they scored, but yeah, we’ve got to play 60 minutes.”