The Tampa Bay Lightning looked like they were poised to tie things up in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche , but the Avs had other plans on Wednesday.
Host Tampa Bay went up 1-0 less than a minute into the first period, as Anthony Cirelli put one in after another shot knocked Darcy Kuemper‘s helmet off. The Avalanche recovered, however, with Nathan MacKinnon breaking a 32-shot scoreless streak with his first goal of the Final in the second period. The Lightning wasted little time, however, with Victor Hedman giving them another one-goal lead five minutes later.
Colorado kept attacking and managed to even the score again in the third off an Andrew Cogliano deflection. That led to the thrilling overtime finish, with Nazem Kadri finally breaking through Andrei Vasilevskiy‘s defense on a counterattack goal.
The Avalanche are now one win away from a title, and it’s good news for them historically — every team that has gone up 3-1 on a defending Stanley Cup champion has ended up with a championship of its own. Here are all the sights and sounds from Game 4.
Final thoughts from Game 4
Colorado went for the fast finish in overtime again.
Three of the 15 post-regulation periods in these playoffs have ended in 90 seconds or less. Andre Burakovsky ended things in a hurry for Colorado in Game 1’s 4-3 OT finish.
Valeri Nichushkin came dangerously close to doing that again with his quick attempt on Andrei Vasilevskiy, but he couldn’t get enough air under the puck to beat Tampa Bay’s impressive defensive coverage.
Logan O’Connor had the next great scoring chance on a breakaway but he didn’t get a great shot on Vasilevskiy. The goaltender easily stopped his attempt.
Bowen Byram hit the crossbar. Devon Toews hit the post. Vasilevskiy halted a Josh Manson slap shot.
It was only right that Nazem Kadri finished it with an overtime winner to give the Avalanche a 3-1 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final. — Kristen Shilton
Avs take Game 4
Nazem Kadri is the hero in overtime, notching the game-winning goal 12 minutes in. It was Kadri’s first time playing since fracturing his thumb on June 4. One very appreciative fan? Denver Broncos quarterback Russell Wilson.
ONE WORD: #NAZTY#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/bDF0BP1wZA
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 23, 2022
🚨🚨 #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/6ATKSoveWR
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 23, 2022
Let’s go Avs!!! @Avalanche 🏆 https://t.co/2mowXLKZZz
— Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) June 23, 2022
Third-period takeaways
The referees seemingly put their whistles away.
It occurred in the third period as Colorado and Tampa Bay slugged it out looking for the game-winning goal.
Players on both sides didn’t look happy about it, though. There were appeals to the officials for calls that could have been huge momentum-shifters.
No such decisions came back from the referees.
Regardless, it was a fitting finish to regulation. This has been the most tightly-contested game of the series. Tampa Bay looked dominant early and the Avalanche were all over them in the third. Both Darcy Kuemper and Andrei Vasilevskiy have been fantastic.
It sets up a big finish in overtime. Who breaks first? — Kristen Shilton
Back and forth
This might end up being the closest game of these Stanley Cup Final, as the Avalanche tie it up again with a goal from Nico Sturm.
What a beauty!#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/qJ9VxfgPek
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 23, 2022
Avalanche second-period takeaways
Nathan MacKinnon has entered the chat.
It couldn’t have come at a better time.
Colorado’s star center had been snakebitten to start the Stanley Cup Final, failing to register a goal through the first three games. MacKinnon pledged to not get frustrated (a trait of his during past slumps) and keep shooting until he found an opening.
His power-play goal wasn’t exactly a thing of beauty, nor did it require an actual shot. But it did tie the score in Game 4 at 1-1.
It was MacKinnon who actually passed the puck to Mikko Rantanen, and Rantanen sent it back on net where the puck bounced off his skate and past Andrei Vasilevskiy.
They don’t ask how. They ask how many.
No one needed a goal like MacKinnon, though. While Tampa Bay’s stars have been stepping up, it was hurting Colorado to see its outstanding performer with only two assists in three outings.
An enduring problem, though? Colorado doesn’t have an even-strength goal since the series shifted to Tampa; all three have come so far with the extra man. Not great. — Kristen Shilton
Lightning second-period takeaways
Last night was a weird night for Lightning defenseman Victor Hedman and Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar. It was the night before Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final and they were dressed in suits at the NHL Awards dinner, held at a local Tampa brewery. Hedman got all dolled up just to watch Makar win the Norris Trophy as the NHL’s best defenseman. It was the sixth time Hedman was nominated for the award. He’s only won it once.
So there was probably some matter of satisfaction for Hedman in the second period when he scored the kind of goal that Norris trophies are made of: Dangling through the neutral zone, then the Avalanche defense, before floating a shot past Darcy Kuemper’s blocker side for a 2-1 lead at 10:42 of the period. Was a lot of this goal Jack Johnson‘s defense and a whiff by Kuemper? Granted, it was. But it was still a marvelous move and a monumental goal by Hedman. We’re checking the NHL bylaws to see if Makar has to legally surrender the Norris to him now.
The other big performance of the second period was goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. He gave up a power-play goal on a puck that bounced off the skate of Nathan MacKinnon — the Avalanche’s sixth power-play goal of the series — but was otherwise vintage Big Cat with 15 saves in the period. If the Lightning weren’t blocking them, he was saving them.
The period didn’t end well for the Bolts, however. Anthony Cirelli, their key defensive center against the MacKinnon line, left the ice clutching his arm with just over a minute to go. Certainly something to keep an eye on for the third.
— Greg Wyshynski
Tampa Bay regains the lead
Victor Hedman gave the Lightning their first goal of the second period and a 2-1 lead. It’s Hedman’s third goal of the postseason and his first since May 10.
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN, VICTOR HEDMAN 👏 pic.twitter.com/FoDi6tfN5c
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 23, 2022
All tied up
The Avalanche struck back a few minutes into the second period, with MacKinnon sending a rebound home for his first goal of the series after 32 attempts, the most of any player on either team.
MacKinnon’s first goal of the #StanleyCup Final ties the game! pic.twitter.com/weOTP7CgOI
— NHL GIFs (@NHLGIFs) June 23, 2022
Subtle, but beautiful.
Nate #BudLightCelly#GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/nfyqmTd6k0
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 23, 2022
Avalanche first-period takeaways
Colorado couldn’t have seen that start coming.
It would take Tampa Bay only 36 seconds to go up 1-0 over the Avalanche on an incredibly fluky sequence.
The Lightning had good offensive zone pressure early when Erik Cernak fired a shot on Darcy Kuemper that knocked the goaltender’s mask right off. Kuemper then couldn’t get across to stop Anthony Cirelli’s ensuing play that put Tampa Bay on the board.
Normally, when a goalie’s mask comes off there’s an immediate whistle but, in this case, because there was an ongoing scoring chance, play was allowed to continue.
Kuemper was in for a tough enough Game 4 before that. He got the nod to start after being pulled midway through Game 3 for allowing five goals on 22 shots. He didn’t need a weird goal throwing his confidence off further. Kuemper rebounded (no pun intended) nicely though while the Avalanche floundered in front of him, being outshot 10-1 through the first 13 minutes.
In fact, Kuemper was about the only thing holding Colorado together for those first 20 minutes. That’s a dangerous position for the Avalanche to put themselves in. He made a great glove stop on Steven Stamkos and then was sharp on Tampa Bay’s late power-play chance.
The Avalanche finished the period being outshot 17-4.
Yikes. — Kristen Shilton
Lightning first-period takeaways
The Lightning are 7-1 when they have a lead after the first period in the playoffs, which is another way of saying that this is a team that knows how to play with a lead. They blocked 13 shots in front of Vasilevskiy and altered a few more. They clogged the neutral zone and didn’t allow the Avalanche to build up their speed game. The Lightning earned substantial zone time with their forecheck, especially with their fourth line that earned the game’s only power play.
That said, it’s still just a 1-0 lead for the Lightning after the first, despite that power-play opportunity and 17 shots on goal. There were some squandered chances there and Kuemper was able to regain his footing after a shaky start. — Greg Wyshynski
Wasting no time
It looks like the Lightning are over their disastrous Game 2, as they needed less than a minute for the game’s first goal. Also a scary moment for Kuemper, as the goaltender took a stick to the neck that knocked his helmet off.
COMING IN HOT 🔥 pic.twitter.com/MfmSVUuQtD
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 23, 2022
Smallest biggest fan
Butterfly Pavilion, a zoo located in Westminster, Colorado, and its resident stag beetle wished the Avalanche good luck ahead of Game 4.
Why thank you 💪🥺
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 23, 2022
Look the part, be the part
Both teams were all business heading into the arena for Game 4.
It’s about that time. #GoAvsGo pic.twitter.com/z1i0aQrv7j
— Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche) June 22, 2022
These boys mean business. pic.twitter.com/n1FTit2A1U
— Tampa Bay Lightning (@TBLightning) June 22, 2022
Return of the ring(s)
Mascots deserve their championship rings just as much as anyone else, which is why it’s heartwarming to see the Lightning’s mascot get two back that he’d lost.
The keeper of @ThunderBugTBL‘s oversized Stanley Cup rings reunited the mascot with his bling after the Bug forgot them earlier. #Game4 pic.twitter.com/0l5XA0uWai
— Greg Wyshynski (@wyshynski) June 22, 2022
Source: www.espn.com