Avalanche mount late comeback, ultimately fall in overtime to Lightning

 

HIGHLIGHTS

GAME RUNDOWN

Fresh off ending their five-game road trip with an overtime victory over the Carolina Hurricanes, the Colorado Avalanche returned home to the Pepsi Center to take on the Tampa Bay Lightning. Things started off with a bang as each team generated scoring chances and shots early on before Tampa Bay began heavily tilting the ice.

That tilt eventually cost Colorado when an extended shift in their own zone ended in the Lightning connecting on a perfect passing play and Brayden Point beating netminder Calvin Pickard for the 1-0 lead. Colorado had some chances late in the period but couldn’t beat Ben Bishop and the Lightning took a 1-0 lead and 17-8 shot advantage into the first intermission.

Things didn’t turn around much for the Avalanche in the second period as Tampa Bay continued pouring on the pressure. The game took another turn when Vladislav Namestnikov broke down the left side of the ice and beat Pickard on a shot that was deflected a bit by Tyson Barrie’s stick but was still a shot no NHL goaltender should ever give up. The 2-0 lead felt like a backbreaker and Colorado played with no energy, getting outshot 13-6 in the second frame.

Sensing the disgruntled home fans, the Avalanche finally played with a spark and jumped on to the board early when Blake Comeau broke into the offensive zone with Matt Duchene and got a shot on Ben Bishop, who stopped the initial offering but left a juicy rebound for Mikko Rantanen, who was all alone. The Finnish rookie beat Bishop and just like that it was 2-1 with most of the third period remaining.

The Avalanche actually made a late-game comeback for the first time all year when Duchene fired a one-timer off two Tampa Bay players, tying the game with less than a minute to play in the third period.

Overtime was the typical trading of crazy scoring chances but Jonathan Drouin’s puck brilliance won out when he faked Pickard enough to get an open net and Drouin made no mistake in scoring the game-winning goal, giving Tampa Bay two points in a 3-2 victory.

 THREE STARS

1. Matt Duchene
2. Nikita Kucherov
3. Jonathan Drouin

PLAY OF THE GAME

Drouin’s goal was a display of the world-class hands that got him drafted third overall in the 2013 NHL Draft. Drouin is going to make a career out of making goalies looking foolish and today’s winner will certainly go on his highlight reel.

TURNING POINT

Duchene’s goal provided the kind of late-game fireworks the Avalanche have completely lacked all season. It was a huge moment for him, too, to get one more in front of the home fans. Given the speculation swirling around him as a potential trade piece, any goal he scores for the Avalanche seems like gravy.

BY THE NUMBERS

WHAT’S NEXT

Colorado returns to the ice Tuesday night as the Los Angeles Kings come calling.