Tampa Bay Taking it Home

Outside Fans are Rowdy in Denver

With a brilliant light show at Ball Arena and beautiful rendition of The Star-Spangled Banner plus the pre-game analysis from announcers Mr. Levy and Mr. Chelios explaining  “game four was in the rear-view mirror”, and “kick ‘em when their down mentality, give ‘em no life”.

The Avalanche take the game’s first penalty and showed why they have earned an 80% kill ratio in the regular season and playoffs and when their second penalty a few minutes later was issued after a decent backchecking effort is also successfully killed with garnishing one short-handed SOG.

Colorado had the edge in offensive zone time but it was Tampa Bay that scored first as 31-year-old defenseman Mr. Rutta scored his first goal of the playoffs with a heavy 95 mph shot that was taken from the far side top of the faceoff circle.

Five minutes into the second period Mr. Nichushkin scores his ninth to tie the game at one with rookie Mr. Makar getting the primary assist his (21) of the playoffs.

Not even 90 seconds later there is a delayed penalty whistled then oddly off-setting penalties but Colorado takes another penalty affording the Lightning a 4-on-3 man advantage which they cash in on with a deflection off the post and in for the 2 – 1 lead.

With just under seven minutes remaining in the second period, Mr. Magoon puts Mr. MacKinnon in a headlock and tackles him to the ice at the blueline, but like a “too many men on the ice” missed call, clearly, this was as well.

The clock has less than four minutes to play with the Avalanche going on the power play but Mr. Vasilevskiy kills it and the period ends with a Colorado 7 SOG advantage but the Lighting took the 2-1 lead into the third period.

The third period begins well for Colorado as Mr. Cernak’s skate blade causes the puck to become a “dribbler” and Mr. Vasilevskiy legs it in for the Avalanche score credited to Mr. Makar and the 2-2 tie.

Period three ends at 6:22 effectively as Mr. Palat scored his (11) for Tampa Bay and a 3-2 lead and with 2:38 of time remaining the Avalanche take a “too many men on the ice” penalty, an exciting, close, empty-net, pressure-filled game ends with a Lightning victory.

The Stanley Cup Finals Game Six is tonight in Florida scheduled with an eight o’clock start time, this series has been enjoyable and unpredictable with both teams winning on the road, and if, IF Tampa Bay wins we will compare the Finals from 80 years ago.