After eight days of waiting, Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals between the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning has finally arrived. This story will be updated often throughout the game, refresh to see our latest analysis.
Live updates
Avalanche downs Tampa Bay Lightning, 4-3, in overtime to win Game 1 of Stanley Cup Finals
Kiszla: Avs win. Score of NHL championship series: The Other Guy 1, Greatest Goalie on Planet 0.
Avalanche Briefs: Winning Russian players won’t be able to take Stanley Cup to home country
Practice equaled penalty-kill improvement for Avalanche in Game 1 win
Avalanche-Lightning Game 1 quick hits: Early scoring onslaught powers Colorado to victory
Avalanche 3 Stars: Andre Burakovsky’s OT game-winner sends Avs fans home happy
Lightning’s Brayden Point makes return from injury in Game 1 loss to Avalanche
PHOTOS: Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lighting, NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 1
Overtime update
And it’s over (9:08 p.m.): Your hero, Andre Burakovsky, with a one-timer for the ages 1:23 into overtime. Valeri Nichuskin with the dime. Avs win 4-3. See you Saturday night. — Matt Schubert
Quick thoughts after the third period
Ryan O’Halloran: To overtime, we go. Well, of course. The teams skated to a scoreless third period, but the Avs had a golden opportunity at the end of regulation. Tampa Bay’s Pat Maroon flung the puck over the glass for a delay of game penalty with 1:24 left, but the Avs weren’t able to capitalize. Earlier in the period, the Avalanche turned in another great penalty kill to keep the game tied.
Mark Kiszla: We waited 21 years for the Avs to get back in the championship series, and it only took three periods to remind us why the NHL stages the most electrifying and intense playoffs in sports. Who will be the hero in overtime? Put my money on J.T. Compher with a beautifully greasy goal.
Sean Keeler: Andrei Vasilevskiy looks like a polar bear in the crease, just a massive dude. Kuemper, at times, reminds you more of a skittish sea lion. The Avs outshot Tampa 11-5 in the third stanza and got nada to show for it. Vasi’s turned away Colorado’s last 22 shots and seems to be settling in at altitude. Hang in there, Mount Darcy. This could get hairy.
Third period updates
We’re going OT (8:50 p.m.): And you thought you were going to bed at a decent hour tonight.
A scoreless third period that included penalties on both teams will now go to extra time — with the Avs on the power play for 36 seconds. Given the chances the first unit had at the end of the third period, they could finish this one early. For our deadlines, let’s hope. –– Matt Schubert
PK comes up big … again (8:31 p.m.). For the third time tonight, the Avs penalty kill was able to get the job done, even with PK specialist Logan O’Connor in the penalty box. All tied with 10:07 to go. — Matt Schubert
Terrific PK work by Avs.
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran)
Go time (8:16 p.m.): Broncos offensive lineman Dalton Risner just chugged a beer on the jumbotron. The third period is upon us. — Matt Schubert
Quick thoughts at the second intermission
Mark Kiszla: Do we blame Avs goalie Darcy Kuemper for letting the Lightning back in this game? Yes, we do. Is that fair? Maybe not. But the third period could be the biggest 20 minutes of his professional life.
Sean Keeler: Jared Bednar has more faith in Darcy Kuemper than Avs fans do right about now. As impressive as Colorado looked in that first period, the Lightning weathered the storm and got a hand on a game that was threatening to get away from them. As that Rangers series showed, the back-to-back champs don’t lay down when their backs are against the boards. Vasi’s second-period rebuttal was impressive. But will Nathan MacKinnon or Cale Makar have the final say?
Ryan O’Halloran: The Avalanche had only two shots on goal through the first 10 minutes, but still led 3-1. Instead of shutting the door, the Avs left it open and Tampa Bay stormed through to tie the game on two goals less than a minute apart. The first was pure beauty by Tampa Bay winger Nikita Kucherov who turned Devon Toews into a pretzel before feeding Ondrej Palat for the goal. The second was just bad — a wrist shot from the point by defenseman Mikhail Sergachev that Darcy Kuemper either didn’t see or saw/whiffed on. One of the Avs’ only surges was late in the period, but Cale Makar made a rare mistake, dancing with the puck near the blue line and ultimately losing zone instead of dumping it back into the corner against a hemmed-in-and-tired Lightning unit.
Second period updates
Buckle up, buttercup (7:43 p.m.): In less than two minutes of the second period, the Tampa Bay Lightning drew even.
First, it was Ondrej Palat finishing a two-on-two rush (Ryan McDonagh and Nikita Kucherov assists), then it was Mikhail Sergachev from the blue line with a snipe that hit off the post and in to tie things at 3-all.
The stick work from Kucherov to set up the first goal was a thing of beauty.
Time to reach for the heart medication. — Matt Schubert
My goodness, Nikita Kucherov…
🇺🇸: ABC ➡️
🇨🇦: ➡️— NHL (@NHL)
Killing it (7:39 p.m.): It’s been a solid night for the Avs special teams so far. Two man-advantage situations for the Lighting. Both killed with little drama. It’s still 3-1 Avs with 8:29 left in the second period. — Matt Schubert
Avs Faithful is electric tonight for Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final. At the start of the second period, Avs are up 3-1 over Tampa.
— Marissa Kraus (@mkkrunnr)
Two minutes, well worth it.
Ol' Pat Maroon for Lightning got two minutes for being pushed from behind by Jack Johnson (who also got two).
— Ryan O'Halloran (@ryanohalloran)
Quick thoughts at the first intermission
Sean Keeler: What rust? That was one-way traffic, a burgundy barrage. Cale Makar might have the inside track for Conn Smythe honors, but dang it, Artturi Lehkonen has been almost as clutch these last six-seven weeks.
Mark Kiszla: Gabriel Landeskog. Valeri Nichushkin. Artturi Lehkonen. It’s an international goal-scoring convention for the Avs. Is it too early for Tampa Bay to pull goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy? Asking for friends of Lightning coach Jon Cooper.
Ryan O’Halloran: Well, there was more action in this first period than in the first five games combined of that awful, unwatchable, dreadful, puts-me-to-sleep NBA Finals series. The Avalanche, off an extended break, were humming early, killing off a penalty and then scoring two goals in less than two minutes. And they were two soft goals that Andrei Vasilevskiy normally stops. On Tampa Bay’s goal to cut the Avs lead to 2-1, defenseman Erik Johnson needs to be more aware of the Lightning dump in — the puck got behind him, allowing Nick Paul to score for Tampa Bay. On the 5-on-3, the Avs worked the puck around well, ending with Arturri Lehkonen’s power play marker to make it 3-1.
Larry Walker …
this is fun. Watching Avs in Stanley cup finals. Then in between periods switch to Rockies!
LoDo will be Rockin with wins!— Larry Walker (@Cdnmooselips33)
First period scoring
Making them pay (6:55): Colorado drew its first penalty of the series … then its second. And as they so often do, the Avs cashed in on the two-man advantage.
Keeping the puck on Tampa Bay’s end of the ice for roughly a minute of ice time, Avs trade deadline pickup Artturi Lehkonen showed his worth once again with his seventh goal of the postseason on a fantastic defection of a Mikko Rantanen wrister.
Gabe Landeskog also got an assist on the score, which was the result of that good ‘ol power play brilliance we’ve come to know from these Avs. — Matt Schubert
Artturi Lehkonen with the perfeeeeeect deflection! 👌
🇺🇸: ABC ➡️
🇨🇦: ➡️— NHL (@NHL)
OK, so maybe it won’t be THAT easy (6:45 p.m.). And now things get interesting.
Nick Paul got Tampa Bay on the board when Victor Hedman found him on a breakaway — scoring a nifty goal that showed the skill isn’t just on one side of the ice.
Paul was able to deke Darcy Kuemper with a defender draped all over him and wrap it around Kuemper’s right side. Avs 2, Lightning 1 … and we still got 5:22 left in the first period.
For good measure, Brayden Point, playing in his first game since the Eastern Conference’s first round. also got his name in the scoreboard with an assist on the play. — Matt Schubert
WATCH: Goal from Valeri Nichuskin
And BIG OL’ VAL.
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche)
Lighting strikes again (no, not those guys) (6:34 p.m.): The forecheck is working my friends.
With Tampa Bay struggling to get the puck out of its zone for an extended period of time, it finally squirted free to Valeri Nichuskin. Given a clean look at the net, the big Russian fired a wrister that Vasilevskiy had no chance to stop. 2-0, Avs. Whose got the goalie edge again?
Two goals in less than two minutes, with a successful penalty kill to start it all off. The Avs are rolling.
— Matt Schubert
WATCH: Goal From Gabe Landeskog
How about that Landy goal?
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche)
Rantanen strikes (6:32): After killing a penalty with relative ease, the Avs got on the board first, with Mikko Rantanen firing a wrister from the left circle that Andrei Vasilevskiy couldn’t corral.
It’s likely the puck would’ve gone in on its own, but Gabe Landeskog was there to tip it in. Good on him. 1-0 Avs. — Matt Schubert
Landeskog, 1-0
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers)
The Avs have taken to the ice. Ball Arena is BUZZING.
— Kyle Fredrickson (@kylefredrickson)
“I NEED TICKETS” sign next to the deck at Brooklyn’s, around 4:35 pm: “What’s the going rate to get in?” Beardy dude: “$750 for third deck. Saw that online, too. Hoping for something better.” (Not sure he found it.) -Sean Keeler
Pregame predictions
Mark Kiszla: Lightning 3, Avs 2. What have they said in hockey since the olden days, when the Zamboni was drawn by horses? Itap not really a series until the visiting team wins a game. Well, this is going to be one heckuva series.
Mike Chambers: Avalanche 4, Lightning 2. The Avs’ eight-day break will be beneficial in this one. They’ll be flying and Nathan MacKinnon and company will outshoot Tampa by a handsome margin. But Colorado will need an empty-net goal to win 4-2.
Sean Keeler: Avalanche 3, Lightning 2, OT. The Burgundy-n-Blue have won their three series openers to date by an average score of 6-3. Sadly, Vasilevskiy’s warmed up and ready to go, so that’ll probably cut those Colorado goals by half.
Ryan O’Halloran: Lightning 4, Avalanche 2. Tampa Bay is on a roll, having won four consecutive games to dispatch the New York Rangers after falling behind 2-0. In the battle of rest vs. rust for the Avalanche, I pick rust. The Lightning will use its wealth of Cup experience to take an early lead and claim Game 1 on the Avalanche’s home ice.
Kyle Fredrickson: Avalanche 3, Lightning 2. Darcy Kuemper’s rough start is erased when Cale Makar nets the game-winning goal in the third period.
Warmups underway, with Kuemper leading the Avs out of the tunnel
Coming out strong (5:53 p.m.): Both the Avalanche and Lightning are on-ice for warm-ups and goalie Darcy Kuemper led the Avalanche out of its tunnel, which signals he will start tonight.
Kuemper will be playing for the first time since Game 1 of the Edmonton series. Winger Andre Burakovsky is also taking the warm-up after being limited in practice this morning. Lightning center Brayden Point is on the ice, another sign that he will play for the first time since Game 7 of the first-round series against Toronto. — Ryan O’Halloran
The scene around Ball Arena before puck drop: “We had to sell our kidneys”
A consistent stream of Avalanche fans filed inside the doors of Ball Arena about an hour before Game 1. A drumline marched through the crowd with music and chatter filling the air.
Denver residents Clifford Swaim, 46, and Rich Streeter, 44, purchased tickets on the secondary market amid sky-high prices. They preferred not to say exactly how much.
“We had to sell our kidneys,” Streeter joked.
“You can make more money,” Swaim added. “But you can’t make more experiences.”
Mariah Cote, 27, is an Avalanche season-ticket holder who recently relocated to North Dakota for work. But she still made the flight back to Denver to watch her favorite team. Cote carried handwritten signs into the arena with a friend, including one that read: ALL HAIL CALE.
“I had to come back for this fourth round,” Cote said. “After the whole entire season, you just feel like you’re almost a part of the team.”
Pat Pacheco, 39, drove up to Colorado Springs for Game 1. Pacheco beamed with pride wearing his Avalanche jersey. Pacheco said he watched about 90 percent of the team’s games on TV this season.
“I am so stoked for this game,” Pacheco said. “I think that we’re going to win tonight 3-2.” — Kyle Fredrickson
Full house: One way to fill up an elevator quickly: Give Bernie the St. Bernard a spot in the corner.
A few media members, including yours truly, could only giggle as Bernie hitched a ride to the upper deck in preparation of Monday night’s game. When asked for a prediction, Bernie declined comment. — Matt Schubert
Commissioner Bettman weighs in on Altitude TV dispute
Television issues (5:36 p.m.): NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman appeared in Colorado for the second time during the Avs’ playoff run. And just like the first time, he was asked about the dispute between Altitude TV and Comcast — which has kept Avs games off the largest cable provider in the Denver metro for the better part of three years. His response:
“I think everybody knows, and it’s not just my view, it’s the view of the Avalanche and the Nuggets and all of their fans that it’s an incredibly unfortunate, distressing situation that the satellite and cable providers basically decided not to have coverage of the game within Denver. The fans should make their unhappiness known to the people who they write checks to every month. It’s not the only place it’s happening. MSG Network isn’t available in certain areas of the Greater New York metropolitan area on the carriage dispute. I think what you’re going to see over time is a transformation and more streaming to avoid possibly dealing with satellite and cable carriage. And in fact, our new national deals have a little bit of that in terms of the games that we’ve been morphing over to ESPN plus. So I think we’re in an evolving industry — both in terms of the health the regionals and their coverage agreements. But it’s unfortunate. And the good news is, the more games that the Avalanche play on national TV, the more they’re available.” — Mike Chambers and Matt Schubert
Dressed to the nines (5:23 p.m.): Casual Wednesday’s here at Ball Arena?
Nope, it’s the Stanley Cup Finals. Time to suit up. At least, that’s how the Avs see it. — Matt Schubert
The gang’s all here.
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche)
A man with a plan 😎
— x – Colorado Avalanche (@Avalanche)
Russian lockout (4:40 p.m.): Both teams have Russians on their roster. One thing we know for certain: None of them will be permitted to take the Stanley Cup home.
At least if NHL deputy commissioner Bill Daly has anything to say about.
Daly told the media at a news conference prior to Game 1 that the Stanley Cup will not be permitted entry into Russia. — Kyle Fredrickson
All about the Benjamins (3:58). Buy a ticket to the Stanley Cup Finals? Or load up the car with a tank of gas? Decisions, decisions.
According to TicketIQ, the average ticket price for the finals on the secondary ticket market is $2,220, making it the most expensive full-capacity Stanley Cup Finals since the site began tracking the number.
The average ticket price in Colorado is $2,572, while secondary tickets are going for an average of $1,751 in Tampa. — Matt Schubert
Avalanche intends to swarm Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy in Stanley Cup Finals
Dealing with Vasy (2:32 p.m.): Andrei Vasilevskiy is only human. He just seems like a giant of mythic proportions.
The Tampa Bay Lightning’s stellar award-winning goaltender lost twice to the Avalanche in the regular season. And Colorado intends to beat him four more times in the Stanley Cup Finals.
“They do have a great goalie on that side that has accomplished a lot but we also know that defending isn’t just about goalies,” Avs forward J.T. Compher said after Wednesday’s morning skate ahead of Game 1 at Ball Arena. — Mike Chambers
Nazem Kadri, Andrew Cogliano “day-to-day” with Game 1 looming
Game 1 morning skates skew in Lightning’s direction (12:07 p.m.): Avalanche forwards Nazem Kadri (right thumb) and Andrew Cogliano (right hand) did not skate with the full group. Afterward, coach Jared Bednar said both are “day-to-day” but would not expand on their availability for Wednesday night or Game 2 on Saturday.
Forward Andre Burakovsky, who has skipped several practices and morning skates during the playoffs, left the ice on Wednesday during power-play drills with the No. 2 unit. He was replaced by J.T. Compher, who had to shed his white penalty-killing jersey and wait for a burgundy jersey to fall in with the four other guys in that color.
Bednar said of Burakovsky and other banged-up players like left wing Gabe Landeskog: “We’re expecting all of those guys to be able to go” for Game 1.
Bednar declined to identify his starting goalie for Game 1 but Darcy Kuemper is expected to get the nod over Pavel Francouz.
At the Lightning morning skate, Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper said star center Brayden Point — who has been limited to seven postseason games because of a lower-body injury — is expected to be in the Game 1 lineup. — Mike Chambers
out early for 9:30 AM scheduled skate ahead of Game 1
— Mike Chambers (@MikeChambers)
Stanley Cup Finals preview: Must reads
Kiszla: Denver is the real Hockeytown, USA! Avs and Pios win like nowhere else in country.
Hockey. Made in America. Nobody does it better than Denver. We are the real Hockeytown, USA. I defy anyone to tell us we’re wrong.
The best hockey in the country is played along a six-mile stretch of road between the barns the Colorado Avalanche and DU Pioneers call home, in rinks where the vibe, like the lamp, is constantly lit.
Here in Denver, we are on the verge of witnessing hockey history not seen anywhere in America since 1972. Get this: For the first time in 50 years, two hockey teams that call the same U.S. city home could win both the NHL and NCAA championships during the same season. — Mark Kiszla
Read more from Mark Kiszla here.
+ Related: Don’t look now, but Denver has become Hockeytown, USA
How the Avalanche got here: Tent-pole moments on way to Stanley Cup Finals
Gone are the days when top players wanted out because they viewed the Avalanche as an NHL outpost that would grind and claw just to make the postseason, but were too many steps from raising the Stanley Cup.
Gone is the time when the Avalanche wasn’t just the NHL’s poorest team, it was 21 points behind the next-worst team and scored 112 fewer goals than its opponents.
And gone is the era when the Avalanche, as an organization, simply hoped to make a postseason dent, possibly winning a round to equal parts excite (look at what we did!) and tease (we’re not really close, but letap act like it!) a fan base.
How things have changed for this Avalanche team, this general manager, this coach and this core of homegrown draft picks. From last in the league only five seasons ago to the center of the hockey world Wednesday when it hosts the twice-champion Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, four wins from glory. — Ryan O’Halloran
Read more from Ryan O’Halloran here.
How Joe Sakic built the 2022 Colorado Avalanche into Stanley Cup contender
Avalanche general manager Joe Sakic and his staff left no stone unturned in the years-long process that produced a roster capable of reaching the Stanley Cup Finals.
Be it through shrewd trades (here’s looking at you, Devon Toews), smart free-agent signings (hello, Valeri Nichushkin) or home run top-of-the-draft selections (Cale Makar at No. 4 has aged like fine wine), the Avs used every roster-building tool at their disposal. Mike Chambers takes a look at how it all came together.
More Stanley Cup Finals preview coverage
- Colorado Avalanche vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: Who has the edge, five things to watch and predictions
- Keeler: Pierre-Edouard Bellemare is proud of Nazem Kadri. And Avalanche fans who embraced him.
- Chambers: Joe Sakic was the captain in 2001. Now he’s the off-ice general 21 years later
- Kiszla vs. Chambers: Will Avalanche’s potent offense get shut down by Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy?
- Stanley Cup Finals betting guide: Avalanche-Lightning odds, prop bets and trends
- Mikko Rantanen surging into Stanley Cup Finals on four-game goals streak
- Demand for Avalanche merchandise spiking ahead of Stanley Cup Finals
- Jumping on the bandwagon? Here’s what you need to know about the Colorado Avalanche
