Tampa Bay Bolts Colorado Avalanche in the Shootout

Early Down

Just 30 seconds into the game, the referees called Jan Hejda for hooking. Unfortunately for the Avalanche, Tampa Bay capitalized on the power play. Lightning skater Ryan Callahan scored.

Defenseman also Brad Stuart scored a goal. Unfortunately, the officials called it off due to goalie interference. Patrick Roy about had a conniption, but the call stood.

Jarome Iginla dropped the gloves with fellow former captain Ryan Callahan. After a couple punches, though, the officials broke it up. Both players earned fighting penalties, though.

The Avalanche went into the dressing room down by one goal, 1-0.

Tilting Ice

It’d be interesting to know who the big speaker in the locker room is for the Colorado Avalanche because they have a tendency to come out fired up. Sure enough, true to form, center Ryan O’Reilly scored in under a minute.

In fact, the Avalanche looked well in control of the game in the early minutes, controlling the puck and outshooting the Lightning.

Both Semyon Varlamov and Tampa goalie Ben Bishop had to make some big saves in the period. Once the ice slanted in the Avalanche’s direction, Bishop had to be stellar. Unfortunately, he was.

Nonetheless, the shots at the end of the first period were 15-5 for the Lightning. At the end of the second, the Avs had taken over, and the shots were 25-24 for Colorado. The Avalanche got 20 shots in the second period alone.

The score was an even 1-1, though.

Last Seconds

Play looked like it had settled down in the third period. Both teams were playing with a little caution. However, the Lightning started putting the pressure on, and they got the puck past Varlamov. Defenseman Anton Stralman scored a regular-strength goal to put the Avs forward 2-1.

The game settled down again, and you couldn’t say that one team dominated more than the other. Both got some good looks, and both Varlamov and Bishop were called upon to make big saves again.

Finally, just over halfway though the third period, Tampa skater Brenden Morrow got called for interference. The Avs were set to get their first power play of the game.

They blew that power play, only getting one shot. They got another power play opportunity when Tampa defenseman Victor Hedman shot the puck over the glass, delay of game. They blew that one, too, getting just one shot.

I was going to point out that there’s no point in pulling your goalie for the extra attacker if you can’t score on two successive power plays. Luckily, coach Roy has his own ideas. The Avalanche came in like gang-busters. They channeled themselves from a year, ago, when they’d regularly tie a game in the last minute of play,

And they did it again. Through sheer hard work, the kid Nathan MacKinnon scored with just seven seconds left in regulation. The teams were going to overtime.

Spirited Extra Hockey

Both teams wanted the overtime goal. They fought hard, with both teams putting on pressure. MacKinnon, obviously still high from his goal, put the pressure on first. No goal. Play went the other way. Back and forth, back and forth with good looks especially for the Avs. No goal.

With under 30 left in the overtime period, Tampa captain Steve Stamkos hooked MacKinnon to prevent him from scoring. He was sent to the penalty box.

The Avs came on like gang-busters again, but they just didn’t have enough time. The game went to the shootout.

Semyon Varlamov is not fantastic in the shootout. He’s good, occasionally great, but he’s not phenomenal. Sure enough, he let both Nikita Kucherov and Callahan score on him. (He has the hardest time with his countrymen, for some reason.) Of the Avalanche’s three skaters, only Matt Duchene scored.

The Avalanche squeaked out a point, but they ultimately fell 3-2 to the Lighting.

The Colorado Avalanche head to St. Louis to play their final game of the roadie — and their final game of the five-game Blues series. The game starts at 6:00 pm MST.