Colorado couldn't close out the Tampa Bay Lightning on their home ice Friday night, losing 3-2 in Game 5 at Ball Arena. The Avalanche still lead the Stanley Cup Final series 3-2.
But after a disappointing showing Friday, it feels like a whole new series with possibly two games remaining and the Lightning carrying the momentum.
"I mean they’re a good team, man. They’re in the Stanley Cup Final for the third year in a row," Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog said. "It’s not supposed to be easy and it’s not going to be easy.
We knew that coming into this, we knew that coming into tonight. Just felt like bounces, whatever, (Andrei) Vasilevskiy had another good night. We felt good about our game.
We tied it up in the third and then obviously they created a slot shot there that squeezes through (Avalanche Darcy Kuemper). So, it is what it is, short memory in the playoffs and that’s what we’re going to do."
Like Game 4, the Lightning scored first, with Jan Rutta getting his first goal of the postseason. The Avalanche were able to tie the game in the second period on a goal from Valeri Nichushkin,
who has scored four goals in the final. Nichushkin scored on a rebound from Cale Makar, who has 21 assists in the playoffs. But the Lightning gained the lead right back on a four-on-three power play goal by Nikita Kucherov, after penalties on J.T. Compher and Makar.
Makar came up big again for the Avalanche, scoring his eighth goal of the playoffs to tie the game early in the third period.
And Colorado appeared to have control of the pace in the third, having several good looks at taking the lead. But again, the Lightning responded with the game-winning goal from Ondrej Palat at the 7:22 mark.
Goalie Andrei Vasilevksiy was a difference-maker again for the Lightning, making 35 saves. He's the main reason Tampa Bay is 4-0 in elimination games this postseason.