DENVER | We’re not getting to the bottom of the two-time Stanley Cup champions as we’re getting rid of a bottom-ranked team. The Avalanche got proof of that when they saw their two-goal lead melt away in the second period.
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Fortunately, Jared Bednar’s side managed to regroup in time to play the first game of this overtime confrontation.
“I wasn’t afraid that we would lose the lead. We’ve endured worse trials this season. I have confidence in our group, said Gabriel Landeskog after the meeting. We must not forget that we are playing against the Lightning. They are a talented team who are not easy to beat.
It was Andrei Burakovsky who ended the debate with his second playoff goal in the 83rd second of overtime.
“I saw JT Compher grab the puck in the neutral zone. I rushed out of the territory. Then we went there again. He made quite a game. I just had to shoot at goal,” said the hero of the match.
Still a lot of work
Also, Bednar had been very mysterious about the identity of his first-choice goalkeeper. Still, we suspected he would audition for Darcy Kuemper. He managed his comeback by deflecting 20 of the 23 shots he faced.
“The Blitz scored two quick goals in the second period but my mentality never changed. All I was focused on was stopping the next shot.”
The two teams will only meet again on Saturday. In the Avalanche camp, of course, we expect an answer from Lightning.
“This is only the first game, the first win, there’s still a long way to go,” argued Artturi Lehkonen, author of his team’s third goal. The Flash is a resistant group. It will be important to keep working and staying true to our style of play.