Having written that, the Lightning received plenty of other terrific performances. The line of Anthony Cirelli, Brandon Hagel, and Alex Killorn, along with defensemen Erik Cernak and Mikhail Sergachev, effectively limited the effectiveness of the Avs' top line with Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, and Artturi Lehkonen. (The Avs alternated their lines, but those three played together for much of the night.) The Cirelli line forced MacKinnon's line to play defense instead of going on the attack. The five Lightning players also finished plus two in the head-to-head matchup - Hagel scored twice in the second period with MacKinnon's line on the ice.
The Lightning decisively won the special teams battle. Corey Perry and Brayden Point netted power play goals, while the Lightning successfully killed off both of the Avalanche's power play opportunities.
Tampa Bay dominated face-offs, winning 43 of 62 draws. Cirelli went 14-6 while Ross Colton finished 7-0.
So it was, as a whole, a strong overall outing for Tampa Bay. But not a flawless one. At times, the Lightning struggled to execute clears from the defensive zone. This led to extended o-zone shifts for Colorado. The possession time in the offensive zone allowed the Avs to create several dangerous scoring chances (they also generated some Grade-A looks off the rush). But Vasilevskiy didn't allow a single puck to get past him. He made multiple point-blank saves on J.T. Compher and Matt Nieto. He stopped deflected shots and close-range attempts. The Avs owned most of the possession during the opening minutes of the second period, which coincided with their two power play opportunities. At the time, the Lightning's lead was 1-0. Vasilevskiy ensured that his team stayed ahead. Then, just over a minute after the second penalty ended, Hagel and Cirelli teamed up for the Lightning's second goal. By the time the middle stanza ended, the Lightning's lead had grown to 4-0.
With a tough four-game trip beginning Saturday in Dallas - a trip that includes a rematch between these same teams in Denver next Tuesday - this was an important victory. It helped the Lightning get back in the win column before they head out on the road.
Lightning Radio Three Stars of the Game (as selected by Phil Esposito):
1. Andrei Vasilevskiy - Lightning. 30-save shutout
2. Brandon Hagel - Lightning. Two goals and assist.
3. Anthony Cirelli - Lightning. Two assists.
