How Avalanche won Game 2

Less than two hours before Saturday’s puck hit, Tampa Bay coach John Cooper clarified his predictions. There will be no repeat of the first 10 minutes of the first game, which saw Colorado score twice before the first half ended.

“I expect us to be better off,” Cooper said.

One of the teams was much better than it was in the first game, and not just in the first 10 minutes of the match. It wasn’t just lightning.

“It was definitely as close to perfect a game as you can get from your players,” said Colorado coach Jared Bednar.

Stephen Stamkos knows what many are thinking.

is over.

Lightning is in trouble after a modest and embarrassing 7-0 loss to an avalanche in Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final on Saturday night. Colorado outstripped the two-time defending champion in the first two games, looking faster, hungrier, more disciplined and more dangerous.

But when Stamkos addressed the media in the bowels of the Ball Arena, he felt he wanted to deliver a message, if not to the hockey world, then certainly to the players in the Tampa Bay room.

Only a Penguins Cup winner (8-0) over the North Stars in 1991 represented a greater inability to close out the Stanley Cup Final than the avalanche of lightning did in Game 2.

The Penguins had six Hall of Famers, and Jaromir Jäger is yet to come

The Colorado Avalanche leads 2-0 in the Stanley Cup Final, won Game 2 7-0 over Tampa Bay Lightning on Saturday. With the series turning to Tampa, Avalanche outperformed Lightning 11-3.

Valery Neshchkin opened the scoring 2:54 in the match. He added another goal in the second half. Nesushkin has eight goals and five assists in 16 play-offs.

(picture: Isaiah c. Downing / USA TODAY)

The avalanche is two minutes into the 2-0 advantage, but I’ll make the obvious here and remind everyone that lightning has been here before. They overcame a 2-0 deficit in the Eastern Conference final and won four goals in a row to eliminate Rangers. Granted, what we just saw was unequivocally Lightning’s worst performance to date in these playoffs – but if anyone can somehow make a comeback, it is.

Cal Makar scores again, this time on a strength game after taking a cross from Bales. Score 7-0 Avs.

It seems that Vasilevskiy resides.

If Cale Makar was to participate, this streak might already be over. Good broth, what a performance through the avalanche.

Lightning’s body language will be noticeable during these last 17 minutes. This is a very proud group, but the champions also know when they don’t have what it takes.

And it seemed as if Lightning had nothing to take against this avalanche.

So, is it too early to begin to question where an avalanche assessment fits among recent post-season efforts?

I can’t imagine, coming out of Three Tough Chains in the East, what it’s like to see that kind of relentless speed while playing at high altitudes for Lightning.

This makes no excuse for Lightning.

But facts are facts, and the avalanche exploits a built-in feature — that famous mile-high thin air — with a slate attacking quickly and skillfully in the waves. And with a defense weapon adept at moving the disc quickly and accurately, avalanche attackers have plenty. It’s hard to imagine Lightning winning a game in Denver unless the goalkeeper stands on his head. And he does so despite giving up nine goals in six periods