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A good effort by Tampa Bay to win their first game of the Stanley Cup Finals in front of the home crowd, the Lightning were 7-0 at home and the Avalanche were 7-0 on the road so something had to give.

Just five minutes into the first period and Colorado once again breaks the ice with the first goal an easy floater over the blocker side for their third straight game scoring first but HC Cooper after waiting as long as he could then called for a Coach’s Challenge.

The challenge itself seemed clear-cut but the officials literally took more time to decide the play was offside than the amount of time already spent playing the game, finally after a long review they determined no goal.

Now six minutes in and Tampa Bay gets its first power play since game three against the Rangers and the Lightning are at 0-6 for power play conversion in the Stanley Cup Finals and after the Avalanche get a shorthanded SOG Tampa Bay gets penalized.

We get four on four for 41 seconds and when Colorado is on the power play they score again and this one counts for the 1-0 lead, 6 SOG 5 halfway through the opening period.

Tampa Bay ties the game at one with a fanned on push/shot that went under Mr. Kuemper and Mr. Cirelli who scored the goal also had the secondary assist but was not credited with the statistic, oddly Tampa Bay’s first three goals have no secondary assists.  

When Mr. Palat affords the Lightning their first lead of the Stanley Cup Finals by scoring his tenth of the playoffs he too had the secondary assist and was not credited with that point.

At this point, the ESPN cheerleader announcer for Tampa Bay said no less than three times how the Colorado Avalanche looked, “confused”, probably because of the uncharacteristic giveaways resulting in scores for Tampa Bay.

It takes Tampa Bay less than 90 seconds to score their third goal to begin the second period, a few minutes later relentless Avalanche pressure results in a Colorado power play which highlights another “up over the blocker” goal on Mr. Vasilevskiy for the 3-2 score.

Eight minutes into the second period and Mr. Stamkos records his first point of the Stanley Cup Finals by scoring his tenth and Mr. Maroon scores which prompts Colorado to switch goalies and Mr. (Frankie) Francouz takes over for the Avalanche.

A delay of game penalty for shooting the puck into the fans gives Tampa Bay’s Mr. Perry a chance at some loose change which he takes advantage of for the Lightning’s sixth goal and four-goal lead.

In the third period, Tampa Bay takes six shots and Mr. Vasilevskiy plays to his abilities and stops all 12 Colorado shots, of course with little time remaining in a game already won Tampa Bay goes in goon mode as the only highlights from the third period are fighting.

Tampa Bay and Colorado resume tonight at eight o’clock this evening, so the questions are will Tampa Bay win game four, will Mr. Francouz start over Mr. Kuemper, and which Mr. Vasilevskiy will show up?

In 1919 the NHL had the first 7-0 shutout in the Stanley Cup playoffs versus the PCHL Champions during a season where both League Championship teams had their names etched as co-winners on the Stanley Cup.

Over 100 seasons later we have the NHL’s second 7-0 Stanley Cup Finals shutout, the largest shutout Stanley Cup Finals victory remains the Penguin’s 8-0 series-ending win in 1991 versus Minnesota.

How Tampa Bay responds for games three and four at home is first and foremost on everyone’s mind today, the Lightning uncharacteristically played with little vim and vigor last night highlighted by their stationary play and the numerous statistics in Colorado’s favor.

During the 1970s I listened to many NHL games on my transistor radio, and last night I listened to Denver’s KKSE “The Altitude Radio Network” for period one and Florida’s WFLA “Lightning Radio” to take in period two, then video replay for period three.  

Colorado again opens the scoring first doing so on the power play, 3 SOG, and 61 seconds into the contest it is 1-0 Avalanche assisted by rookie Mr. Newhook getting the secondary helper. 

The Denver radio announcer shouts, “Man Oh Manson” as defenseman Mr. Manson scores Colorado’s second goal with another assist from rookie Mr. Newhook and the 2-0 lead.

A rebound results in the third goal for the Avalanche as the radio announcer informs his audience that “Andre the Giant” Burakovsky put that in and has given Colorado a three-goal lead.

Less than four minutes remaining in the first period and you can hear the crowd chanting, “We want the Cup”, then the radio announcer has an on-air hissy fit as he cannot believe Mr. Kuemper (served by the rookie Mr. Newhook) is getting penalized as well as Mr. Perry.

Colorado Center Mr. Helm at 35 years of age appearing in his ninth NHL Stanley Cup playoff season had issued seven hits by this point of the game and easily became the NHL hits playoff leader these playoffs.

Finally, the radio announcer practically had a heart attack as Mr. Stamkos slashes in “broad daylight” and other Lightning players are, “barking at the Colorado players and running the goalie”, but with 80 seconds left, the period is mercifully allowed to end.  

For the second period, I had switched to WFLA “Lightning Radio” to listen to the Tampa Bay announcer’s perspective, almost five minutes in and no SOG I am informed how the Avalanche are quick on the Lightning players and causing missed passes.

The fourth goal is scored when Mr. Palat softly gives the puck away behind the net to Mr. Rantanen who then alertly passes it right out in front to Mr. Nichushkin at the mid-faceoff circle/slot area whose accurate shot eluded Mr. Vasilevskiy.

The 15-season veteran Mr. Helm takes a deflected puck deep in his zone and proceeds to skate right down Main Street past a Lightning change and as soon as he enters the faceoff circle to the right of Mr. Vasilevskiy snaps a wrister for the 5-0 Avalanche lead.

A two-on-one short-handed odd-man rush halfway through Tampa Bay’s powerplay affords Mr. Makar an opportunity to shoot and score to increase Colorado’s lead to 6-0 only a couple minutes into the third period.

Finally, goal seven came on a Colorado power play midway through the third period when Mr. Makar scores his second of the game blocker side, interestingly Mr. Vasilevskiy is not pulled and finished the game.

Game Three Monday Night for Tampa Bay’s first home game of the series game time is set to begin at eight o’clock.

The excitement generated for game one was worth it for those fans fortunate enough to be in Denver at the Ball Arena Wednesday night witnessing some two-goal leads, a tied game for nearly half an hour, overtime, and the home team vanquishing the visitors.

The Avalanche appeared ready to go right from the opening faceoff despite the prognostications of the announcers that were obsequiously flattering the Lightning all game, highlighted by the announcer’s description of Colorado’s first two scores as “not the prettiest but they went in”.

The first goal was a beautiful shot that went through Mr. Vasilevskiy’s glove side by Mr. Rantanen and as it was going towards the net when Mr. Landeskog made sure with the tip as he was being hooked around the waist by Mr. Hagel and fell to the ice.

The second goal was better than the first as Mr. Makar checks Mr. Paul off the puck along the dasher board getting Mr. MacKinnon the puck who alertly snaps a pass to a wide-open Mr. Nichushkin whose greasy wrister from the top of the faceoff circle beats Mr. Vasilevskiy.

If it is an ugly goal example required the Lightning’s first score was just that and a bit of luck for Tampa Bay’s Mr. Paul who now has scored four goals and four assists in these playoffs from a player who could barely score for Ottawa over seven seasons.

The third goal resulted from a 5-on-3 benefiting from Tampa Bay’s inability to stop tripping Colorado’s best offensive players, no matter how many times Mr. Cirelli shakes his head no in the penalty box, he did trip Mr. Makar.

Now HC Cooper began to get emotional when he thought there should have been an offside call before Colorado burned Mr. Vasilevskiy again, offside review will always come down to the linesmen’s call on the ice.

Video replay clearly highlights Mr. Makar did not touch the puck until Mr. Nichushkin cleared the zone, on-air reporting citing NHL video coaches from teams not in the playoffs all backing the linesman’s call.

In the second period Tampa Bay skates to within one of Colorado with a beautiful score of their own compliments of Mr. Kucherov, who when passing to the goal scorer Mr. Palat was mentioned “for his brilliance” of his assist by the fawning announcer.

Moments later Tampa Bay scores again for the tie and with approximately six and half minutes remaining in the second period there will not be another goal scored until overtime.

Overtime lasted 83 seconds as the Avalanche took control of the puck mid-ice and skated into the offensive zone with an even-man rush of three-on-three as the Lightning defenseman blocked the initial shot it went to a Colorado player who passed it across the ice to Mr. Burakovsky who scored.

The NHL had scheduled the first game Wednesday night with the second game three nights later, a long delay between the first two games of the Stanley Cup Finals but Saturday night at eight o’clock Colorado hosts game two.

Game six in Tampa Bay went the Lightning’s way with a 2-1 effort eliminating the Rangers in a home win propelling Tampa Bay to their third consecutive trip to the Stanley Cup Finals.

The first period was filled with 18 SOG which is the average for the entire game with these two teams and we also saw the #14 magoon punch Mr. Trouba in the head knocking off the helmet but no harm, no foul.

The scoreless period also has ESPN producing a positive Tampa Bay graphic for viewers, Mr. Bogosian for the Lightning looks more solid offensively and Mr. Braun protects the defensive zone well for the Rangers.

In the final five minutes the Rangers hold a 64-36 faceoff percentage advantage and Mr. Shesterkin looks brilliant with a pad save on a Tampa Bay forward Mr. Cirelli.

It appears as if New York has the lightning rods against Tampa Bay as Mr. Shesterkin one minute into the second period makes a beautiful glove/pad stack save to keep the game scoreless.

Then the best check of the series came at 17:27 of the second period when a crushingly clean shoulder-to-shoulder check from Mr. Trouba put Mr. Perry convincingly to the ice.

More physical play ensues as Mr. Bogosian after a little face wash goons it up with a headlock on Mr. Rooney which also became a helmet remover, but astonishingly when penalties are meted out Mr. Bogosian escapes the official’s ire and we are at four on four.

At the 12:23 mark, ESPN produces a negative New York graphic for viewers, and two minutes after that Mr. Hedman has a hissy fit as he ducked almost completely out of the way from a glass and dasher board rattling check.

After all of Mr. Shesterkin’s efforts at the 9:17 mark, Tampa Bay takes a weak shot that unbelievably eludes the goaltender, five minutes later the Rangers penalty killers are once again successful and the period ends with 23 SOG 13 in favor of Tampa Bay.  

In the third period, the Rangers are outhitting and blocking, winning faceoffs are awarded their second power play, but they have to score, which they do eventually to tie the game on their 19^th shot and we have a nail-biter.

But not even 30 seconds later Tampa Bay scores a controversial goal that highlighted goaltender interference but was ruled a clean goal by the officials and so it goes…

Game 1 at eight o’clock in Colorado the 12-2 Avalanche will open up the Stanley Cup Finals at home versus the 12-5 Lightning Wednesday night.

Game five was a low shooting and scoring affair Thursday night as both teams combine for 3 SOG 1 halfway through the first period with the Rangers spending most of the period in the offensive zone and winning 57 percent of faceoffs.

At 8:50 the Bread Man dangles and skates circles around Mr. Paul and it caused the Tampa Bay player to lose his balance and fall to the ice.

Finally at the 6:49 mark, the Lightning take their second shot of the game and the announcers ignore this fact after hyping the fact that the Ranges had a low SOG last game.

The obsequiousness of the ESPN announcers was so apparent they actually posted negative statistical information on the screen about the Rangers during the first period.

The second period highlighted New York’s sterling penalty-killing abilities,and the first Rangers power play was set up when Mr. Shesterkin alertly shot the puck at the Lightning bench during a change to earn the “too many men on the ice” call.

On top of which Tampa Bay is taking a whole three shots for the period and also hit two goal posts which the announcers kept commenting on well into the second period at the 5:18 mark again, Tampa had hit two posts.

The announcers’ constant mentioning of the Lightning’s two posts stopped when there were two and a half minutes left in the second period and Tampa Bay scored a lucky/perfect shot through no less than a six-player screen to tie the game at one.

The third period with seven minutes remaining had both teams acquiring 23 SOG, a quick-thinking Mr. Palat sheepishly ducks out of the way to avoid getting hit by Mr. Trouba.

Tampa gets their second score with less than two minutes left in the game when skittish Mr. Palat scores to make the score 2-1 and with 58 seconds remaining a Happy Net goal seals the victory for the Lightning.

Tonight the Rangers must return the favor and beat the Lightning on the road at Amalie Arena in Florida with puck drop scheduled for approximately eight o’clock.