Controversy Pushes Avalanche to Game 4 Overtime Win in Tampa Bay

Referees ignore extra Av on ice as game-winner is netted by Colorado.
Avalanche once again favored in hosting Game 5.
Lightning had chances despite illegality.

Kadri’s Game-Winning Goal Takes Down Lightning and More

Colorado’s Nathan Kadri scored at 12:02 in overtime to lift the Avalanche to a 3-2 win over the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning.

However, upon further review, there were clearly six attackers on the ice for the Avalanche as Kadri made the game-winner. The NHL came back with a statement that none of the four officials had declared an extra attacker for Colorado.

However, ESPN clearly denoted the six Avalanche players on the ice at the time of Kadri’s score.

IT'S A #StanleyCup PICTURE PERFECT MOMENT

Cc: Nazem Kadri (@43_Kadri) pic.twitter.com/abCxFP1Nqm

— NHL (@NHL) June 23, 2022

Kadri lifted the puck from the middle of the ice and placed it through Tampa Bay goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy’s outstretched right arm.

However:

Kadri was the extra attacker who came on the ice in front of his own bench. Colorado had no player leave the game or no one who looked like he was even ready to leave.

The win now leaves the Colorado Avalanche on poise for their first Stanley Cup title since 2001 as they will host the Lightning at Ball Arena on Friday night while nursing a 3-1 series lead.

Avalanche Pick Up Favorite Role For Potential Stanley Cup Title

Colorado (-110) checked into Game 4 on Wednesday night as the favorite for the third time in the four games of the Stanley Cup series.

Now, with a potential close-out scheduled on Friday evening, the Avalanche are set as the favorite (-175) and the OVER/UNDER is posted at 6 for the fifth time in the series. The (-175) sets the Avalanche with it’s best odds as they were favored by (-145) and (-150) in Game 1 and Game 2. At the top online sportsbooks, both teams are set at (-110).

This was also the first game in the Stanley Cup series where the OVER/UNDER went below 6. For Friday’s Game 5, UNDER 6 favors Tampa Bay with (+100) while that OVER 6 (-120) beckons Colorado.

As of now:

The Avalanche are even more of a prohibitive favorite with a (-1400) sitting on the money line while the Tampa Bay Lightning, who now will need to win three in a row, are posted with a (+800).

The Game 5 line shows Colorado (-1.5) and (+150) while Tampa Bay is (+1.5) with (-175) as the puckline.

Lightning’s Chances Came Early But To No Avail

Tampa Bay had a great start to Game 4 as Anthony Cirelli scored some 36 seconds into the game to give the Lightning a 1-0 lead.

Tampa Bay outshot Colorado, 17-4, in the first period and had plenty of men deep into the Avalanche zone in front of goalie Darcy Kuemper.

The Lightning moved ahead 2-1 after two periods when Victor Hedman scored on a backhand shot at the 10:42 mark in the second. This answered Colorado’s third power-play goal of the series as offensive fireplug Nathan MacKinnon tied the game at 1-1 at the 5:17 mark of the second. Tampa Bay now must prove it can be the first NHL team in history to win the conference championship and the Stanley Cup, back-to-back, after losing the first two games in each.

Colorado outshot the Lightning, 11-3, in the overtime period which set the stage for Kadri’s game-winner and a six-man Avalanche approach on that game-winning rush.

This was basically an even contest as Tampa Bay outshot the Avalanche, 39-37, but Colorado outhit the Lightning, 41-29 while Tampa Bay blocked 34 shots to 21 for the Avs. Both teams split the face-offs, 35-35.

Please Note:

The power play has been an issue for the Lightning as well as they went into last night with a 20.3 percentage in the NHL Playoffs, ninth in the league. The penalty kill has been only at 67.9 percent at home in Tampa Bay, 14th in the NHL.

Colorado’s offense was sitting at 33.3 percent on the power play, first in the NHL and the Avalanche came in with a 43.5 percent conversion rate in road playoff games.