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Bolts Bounce Back In A Big Way, Defeat Avalanche 6-2 In Game 3

@jayRecher

*****

Now THAT is the response that you wanted to see.

Six different players scored and Andrei Vasilevskiy made 37 saves as the Tampa Bay Lightning defeated the Colorado Avalanche 6-2 in Game 3 of their Stanley Cup Final matchup.

Colorado's lead in the series is now 2-1.

Anthony Cirelli, Ondrej Palat, Nick Paul, Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon & Corey Perry all found the back of the net for Tampa Bay.

The Avalanche thought they scored the first goal when Valeri Nichushkin scored at the 15:00 mark of the 1st, but Lightning video coach Nigel Kirwan and his team came up clutch once again.

After a long review, the play was deemed offside when Devon Toews could not keep the puck in the zone at the 15:04 mark & the game remained scoreless.

Colorado did open the scoring with a Gabriel Landeskog power play goal at 8:19, but Tampa Bay did not fold & kept pushing for the equalizer.

And find that goal they did, when Cirelli scored at 13:03.

Speeding into the Avalanche zone, the gritty Lightning forward tried to go forehand-to-backhand as he came in on Darcy Kuemper, but the puck slipped off his stick & through the legs of the Colorado netminder to tie the score at 1-1.

Just over two minutes later, Tampa Bay took their first lead of the series.

Executing an absolutely perfect give-and-go, Palat took a feed from Stamkos in the slot after he dropped a pass to him at the top of the circle, and the Lightning winger snapped one over Kuemper to put Tampa Bay ahead 2-1 at 15:04.

With Brayden Point out with a lower body injury, the Lightning could ill afford to lose any more of their top stars, but it looked bleak when Josh Manson pushed Paul from behind and the Tampa Bay forward hobbled to the bench. After a few moments, Paul had to be helped to the Lightning dressing room.

Done for the game? Nope.

Scores the next goal? You bet!

Just 1:26 into the 2nd period with him being clearly a step slower, Paul found a puck in the slot and snapped one past Kuemper to put the Lightning up by a pair.

The Avalanche got one back when Landeskog scored another power play goal at 4:43, but it was all Tampa Bay the rest of the way.

Stamkos roofed once from the slot at 7:52.

Maroon took a pretty feed from Nikita Kucherov -- who had two assists on the night -- and chipped a backhander over Kuemper at 11:15. That was it for the big man between the pipes, with Pavel Francouz taking over for him in net. Francouz was greeted rudely, however, giving up a power play goal to Perry at 14:58.

There weren't any goals in the 3rd period, but there was a play at 13:58 that caused some concern for Bolts Nation.

As Kucherov was going down to the ice, he was cross checked by Devon Toews and was in apparent discomfort. The Lightning star winger tried to take a couple of shots on the ensuing power play, but skated off the ice & directly to the Tampa Bay locker room.

Coach Jon Cooper said after the game that he had no updates on any of the injured players and that the team would know more on Tuesday.

Kuemper made 17 saves in defeat for Colorado. Francouz stopped 9 shots in relief. There are now questions of who will start in goal for the Avalanche in Game 4, but many in the postgame press conference area seem to believe that it will be Francouz who will get the nod.

We shall see.

*****

SCORING SUMMARY

1st Period

  1. Colorado - PPG - Landeskog - (Rantanen, Makar) - 8:19
  2. Tampa Bay - Cirelli - (Bogosian) - 13:03
  3. Tampa Bay - Palat - (Stamkos) - 15:04

2nd Period

  1. Tampa Bay - Paul - (Colton) - 1:26
  2. Colorado - PPG - Landeskog - (Makar, Rantanen) - 4:43
  3. Tampa Bay - Stamkos - (Kucherov, Bogosian) - 7:52
  4. Tampa Bay - Maroon - (Kucherov, Hedman) - 11:15
  5. Tampa Bay - Perry - (Palat, Hedman) - 14:58

3rd Period

NONE

*****

PENALTY SUMMARY

1st Period

  1. Colorado - Compher - (Interference) - 5:50
  2. Tampa Bay - Palat - (High Sticking) - 7:09
  3. Colorado - Newhook - (Holding the Stick) -

2nd Period

  1. Tampa Bay - Colton - (Hooking) - 4:03
  2. Colorado - Manson - (Roughing) - 8:58
  3. Tampa Bay - Maroon - (Roughing) - 8:58
  4. Colorado - Sturm - (Delay of Game) - 14:22
  5. Tampa Bay - Killorn - (Slashing) - 15:45
  6. Colorado - Cogliano - (Roughing) - 19:43
  7. Tampa Bay - Sergachev - (Roughing) - 19:43

3rd Period

  1. Colorado - Cogliano - (Unsportsmanlike Conduct) - 12:03
  2. Colorado - Toews - (Cross Checking) - 13:38
  3. Tampa Bay - TEAM - (Too Many Men) - 14:40
  4. Colorado - Cogliano - (10-Minute Misconduct) - 17:48
  5. Colorado - Cogliano - (Slashing) - 17:48
  6. Colorado - MAJOR - O'Connor - (Fighting) - 17:48
  7. Tampa Bay - Maroon - (10-Minute Misconduct) - 17:48
  8. Tampa Bay - MAJOR - Colton - (Fighting) - 17:48

*****

What's Next For The Bolts : The Lightning are back in action on Wednesday night as they once again battle the Colorado Avalanche in Game 4 of their Stanley Cup Final matchup. Puck drop is slated for 8:00pm with the pregame show starting at 7:00pm on NewsRadio WFLA & Lightning Power Play on the iHeartRadio app.

2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final - Game Three

Photo: Getty Images North America


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