The Tampa Bay Lightning and Colorado Avalanche met Wednesday night for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final and it was a thrilling affair, with the Avalanche winning 4-3 in overtime.
The Lightning have their sights set on a three-peat, which would be the first time a team has won three consecutive NHL championships since the New York Islanders won four straight from 1980 to ’83. Tampa Bay showed resolve in the Eastern Conference finals, rebounding from a 0-2 hole against the New York Rangers to win the series in six games. The Lightning had to show more perseverance in Game 1 as they faced a 3-1 deficit after the first period.
Despite Colorado’s fast start, Tampa Bay found its groove as the game progressed. It tied the game in the second by scoring two goals in 48 seconds. The third period went by without any goals, but shortly into overtime Andre Burakovsky scored the game-winner for the Avalanche. It’s the first career playoff overtime goal for Burakovsky, and very good news for Colorado: Game 1 overtime winners are 14-4 in Stanley Cup history.
Ball Arena was electrifying all night thanks to the fans’ raucous energy. From stars in the stands to the fast-paced action, spectators had a lot to take in as the Stanley Cup got underway.
Here are some of the best sights and sounds from Game 1.
Takeaways from the Avalanche’s Game 1 win
Colorado is a resilient group. No matter what’s come at them in the postseason, the Avalanche have found a way.
In Game 1, they blew a two-goal deficit to the two-time Stanley Cup champions but refused to be intimidated. Colorado stuck to their game plan, got excellent performances out of their special teams and once again the Avalanche’s depth shone through with Andre Burakovsky’s overtime game-winner.
It wasn’t a star-driven win. The Avalanche were a sum of their parts in the right way.
Tampa Bay will be looking for payback in a big way come Game 2. — Kristen Shilton
“This is a dream since I was a kid.”
–@andreburakovsky after scoring the…
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