Avalanche vs Lightning: Lightning Need to Be More Aggressive to Win Game Three

• The Colorado Avalanche shut out the Lightning 7-0 in Game Two.
• The Tampa Bay Lightning only took 16 shots in Game Two.
• The Avalanche are outscoring the Lightning 11-3 in this series.

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Odds

Odds taken from DraftKings Sportsbook.

Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning Predictions and Picks

Colorado Avalanche beat Tampa Bay Lightning 4-3

Colorado Avalanche cover

Under 6 goals

The Colorado Avalanche will go on the road in an attempt to take a 3-0 lead in this Stanley Cup Final. The Avalanche won Game One 4-3 in overtime and absolutely destroyed the Lightning 7-0 in Game Two. Colorado came out fast and scored three goals in 15 minutes. They followed that up by scoring two Second Period goals. In case you thought they were done there, they had more in the tank. Cale Makar scored a shorthanded goal a little over two minutes into the Third Period and scored a power-play goal about halfway into the Third. The Lightning never stood a chance and need to get their offense going in this game.

The Colorado Avalanche have a bevy of scorers and an incredibly talented roster. Nathan MacKinnon is the most talented player and has been a scoring machine in the Playoffs; he takes over 5.5 shots a game and has 11 goals. MacKinnon spends much of his time on the ice with Gabriel Landeskog. Landeskog plays about as much as MacKinnon and has nine goals. I could go through the whole Colorado roster showing how impressive they are, but I will just say this. The Avalanche offense is a juggernaut and insanely hard to be stopped.

Darcy Kuemper has gotten both Stanley Cup Finals starts for the Avalanche. He did not allow one goal in net last game, so it is safe to say he is doing well. Kuemper will likely stay in net for the rest of the Finals.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are on the ropes after their last game. I will not go through how some of their players are performing, but I will say this. Tampa needs to be aggressive and take shots. If they lose this game, the series might as well be over.

Andrei Vasilevkiy was not pulled from last game, even though he gave up seven goals. He is a dominant netminder but cannot have performances like the one he had in Game Two.

Even though the Avalanche are playing on the road, they will win with their superior offense.

Head-to-Head: Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning

Why Might the Colorado Avalanche Win?

The Colorado Avalanche are the underdogs for the first time in this series but will win if they do not become complacent and draw penalties.

The Avalanche have to be feeling good about themselves going into Tampa with a 2-0 lead. They crushed the Lightning in Game Two and have shown that they are the better team. However, they have to take that win in stride and not become complacent. The Lightning are in the Finals for a reason and have the ability to beat any team in the league. If the Avalanche do not become complacent and take the Lightning seriously, they should be fine. Colorado needs to have the correct mindset for this game.

The Avalanche cannot stop scoring on the power-play. They scored two power-play goals last game and are scoring on almost ⅓ of their power-play attempts. It is critical for the Avalanche to draw penalties in this game. A power-play goal may be the difference between a win and a loss.

Why Might the Tampa Bay Lightning Win?

The Tampa Bay Lightning are playing at home and have become the favorites. However, they will only win if they take a lot of shots and limit the Avalanche’s shots.

The Lightning only took 16 shots in Game Two. You will never win a game when you only take 16 shots. They need to be more creative finding shots this game and be more aggressive. If Tampa takes fewer shots than Colorado, they will lose.

The Lightning defensemen have to slow down the Avalanche shooting attack this game. They cannot allow the Colorado wingers and centers to shoot as much as they want. The Lightning defense struggled last game but has to redeem themselves in this match.

Avalanche Key Players: (D) Cale Makar

Cale Makar has been sensational in the Playoffs. The 23-year-old defenseman has seven goals, 17 assists, a +/- of 13, plays almost 27 minutes a game, and leads his team with 24 points.

Makar will be facing a tougher Lightning offense than in Game Two. The Lightning are playing at home after being shut out, so they will play better. Makar needs to take care of his defense and slow down Tampa’s big hitters.

Lightning Key Player: (G) Andrei Vasilevskiy

Andrei Vasilevkiy brought all the wrong stuff to Game Two. Do not get me wrong, the Lightning were shut out and never going to win, but Vasilevkiy could not have played worse.

Vasilevskiy let in seven goals on 30 shots in Game Two. However, he is still a top goaltender in this league. If he brings his A-game in Game Three, the Lightning might have a chance to win.

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