The series thus far has been so incredibly lopsided that most of my thoughts right now, as an Avs fan, are just pure joy. However, that said there are several things ringing around my head before game three, let’s go through them.
- At what point are the Tampa Bay Lightning just going to wake up and realize, oh yeah this isn’t a cake walk, we actually have to show our grit. Grit is one thing the defending champs have lacked in the first two games, the Avalanche forecheck is just better, it moves quicker and hits harder and it doesn’t allow the Lightning a chance to leave the zone. That’s the number one little thing the Lightning can do to make this more competitive, just get out of your own zone. Even if that means it’s just a quick outlet and dump and chase every single time, at least dumping the puck in allows you a chance to establish some physicality and try to knock the Avs speed out of them a little bit.
- Is Andrei Vasilevskiy going to remember he’s arguably a top ten goalie of all time? Because if that happens, this becomes a much different series. Part of what has been so shocking about this series is how bad Vassy has been. These goals he’s giving up are what I expect from his subpar counterpart Darcy Kuemper, not a Vezina caliber all star like Vasilevskiy. If he can make 40 saves a game and keep the scoring to just a goal per period the Lightning have a legitimate shot of getting back into these finals.
- Finally, can the Avs keep the foot on the gas? Taking a three-to-nothing lead over a team that has won back-to-back cups seems like an almost super-human task. Winning in Tampa will be a challenge in and of itself but if the Avs can make it past that roadblock it would seem, well I don’t even want to say it or I might jinx us. The Avs just have to keep the foot on the accelerator and the eyes on the prize, 2 wins, and Lord Stanley beckons.
Special shouts to my guy Travis for the motivation, night after is back starting tomorrow through the end of the series.