Lightning pile on Avalanche in Stanley Cup final rematch

TAMPA — No championships were won Thursday night at Amalie Arena. No team paraded around the ice hoisting the Stanley Cup.

But the Lightning’s first game against the Avalanche since last season’s decisive Game 6 of the Cup final still was significant in many ways.

Both teams downplayed the meeting — they see each other again Tuesday in Denver — but undoubtedly revisiting many of the same faces that celebrated with the Cup on their home ice in June brought back hard memories for the Lightning.

“We’ve been on the other side of that for the past couple years when we realize teams kind of circled us (on the schedule),” forward Alex Killorn said. “This has been the first time where we get a chance to play the team that beat us. So, emotions were high for sure in this game.”

Opponent aside, the night was important for the Lightning because they needed to get back to their winning form after losing their first two games following the All-Star break.

The Lightning produced what might have been their most complete performance of the season, beating the Avalanche 5-0 and setting a franchise record with their 14th straight home game with at least a point. They still have not lost three straight games this season.

“A lot of heartbreaks in here last year against this team,” said forward Brandon Hagel, who had two goals and an assist. “It wasn’t a good feeling. So, obviously, when you get a little redemption, it’s a pretty good feeling. It’s not the Stanley Cup finals, but we showed we deserve to be back there again.”

The Lightning (33-16-2) saw in the Cup final series how dangerous Colorado’s speed is. Entering the game, the focus was on taking that away by pressuring the Avalanche as they entered the neutral zone. The lockdown line of Hagel, Anthony Cirelli and Killorn were tasked with disarming Colorado’s top scoring line of Artturi Lehkonen, Nathan MacKinnon and Mikko Rantanen.

“If you want any chance of beating them,” coach Jon Cooper said, “shutting them down is the first box you have to check.”

Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy held Colorado scoreless with 30 saves for his first shutout of the season and his first in a regular-season game since Nov. 26, 2021, a stretch of 85 games. The win was Vasilevskiy’s 24th of the season, tied for second most in the league, behind Boston’s Linus Ullmark.

Asked if he knew the last time he recorded a shutout, Vasilevskiy said, “I know how many wins I have this season, and that’s the only thing that matters.”

The stalwart defense played by Cirelli line paid off in the offensive end. Hagel’s first goal, which put the Lightning up 2-0 midway through the second period, was a hard-earned score that exemplified how much Tampa Bay wanted this game.

After helping to break up a 2-on-1 in the Lightning end, Hagel received the puck from Killorn and pushed through the neutral zone, falling to one knee while fighting off Rantanen’s backcheck. Cirelli, flying into the offensive zone down the left wing, outskated two Colorado players to the puck and gave it back to Hagel, who beat Avalanche goalie Alexandar Georgiev with a one-timer.

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“That’s a line that kind of pulls a team in in the fight,” Cooper said. “Especially the way (the Avalanche) play, you’ve got to get pucks behind them, and sometimes you have foot races. With two guys draped on him, (Cirelli) made a pass and then a great finish by ‘Hags.’ That was a heck of a play by them, and a big moment for us as a team.”

With the Lightning leading 3-0 late in the second period, Hagel set up his second goal, taking the puck away from Rantanen at the Colorado blue line. Killorn raced into the offensive zone with the loose puck and dropped a pass to a trailing Hagel, who beat Georgiev on his blocker side.

“I think we were just skating real good,” said Killorn, who had three assists. “When you look at a lot of the goals, they came from turnovers in the neutral zone, and Cirelli and Hagel are such great skaters, so whenever we can get them in foot races — and they’re great forecheckers — it seems to be good for our line.”

Hagel also set up Brayden Point’s power-play goal in the second period, winning a battle in the corner and pushing the puck toward the front of the net. The Lightning also got a power-play goal from Corey Perry to finish 2-for-3 with the man advantage.

“We played great, especially against a team that has so much offense and plays so well,” Killorn said. “I think it was one of our best games from start to finish. They had a couple of shifts where they had a lot of zone time, but we bent. We didn’t break.”

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