If A hawks goalie let in either and/or both he would be blasted. They were weak for an all world goalie. he will be better and the Avs could be in trouble once he is.
- SteveRain

Then i guess we agree to disagree. If everyone thinks this might be like the Rangers series i believe the Rangers as a team had one of the lowest possession ratings in a playoff series. I don't see that happening to the Avs at all.

Oh no doubt but, remember that Andrei Andreyevich Vasilevskiy had a stinker in game 1 against the Rangers too and then got in the zone the remainder of the series.

If the Bolts lose I doubt it will be because of him.
- Rota's Rooter

The Avs have a tremendously tremendous forecheck, Makar did to Hedman what Hedman has done to opponents for years on that 2nd goal.

Young? They are dressing 2 players under 25, Major and Byram, Tampa slso has 2 Sergachev and Hagel
- LAHawk

When i say young i mean the 15-16 players that are (about) just hitting their prime hockey years.

The goaltending wasn't good for either team last night.
Avs will win the series in 6 games.

Corsi 63-49 Avs
Fenwick 46-27 Avs
Shots 32-18 Avs
Scoring Chances 27-19 Avs
High Danger 13-8 Avs
Expected Goals For 2.66-1.22 Avs

All numbers 5v5 from Natural Stat Trick.
- scottak

Didn't the Rangers win the first 2 at home? Didn't Toronto have a 3-2 lead on the Bolts? Amazing to see the Tampa Bay obituaries in the first 10 minutes of the game last night.

Then i guess we agree to disagree. If everyone thinks this might be like the Rangers series i believe the Rangers as a team had one of the lowest possession ratings in a playoff series. I don't see that happening to the Avs at all.
- BetweenTheDots

What I am saying is the team that gave the Avs the "biggest scare" this postseason was STL because Binnington found his game until he got ran.

Look at the other goalies the Avs have faced.....Ingram, Husso, Smith....you can only face who you face, but it's not like they have beaten any decent playoff goalie yet. On top of that, when the Avs failed to advance in previous years it was because their goalie got outplayed by a Fleury or a red hot Khudobin.....

The Avs are a great team from D on up....my rebuttal to you is that if 88 plays on par to his normal game, the Avs will get a long series from Tampa, and if 88 brings his A game from here on out...the Avs will need a miracle from Kuemper.

As much as the Avs have an advantage in speed, they have the EXACT same problem the Oilers had/have and that is they have 2 sieves in net. yes, they can work to stay 200 ft away but look at stats from last night...shots, scoring chances, and they still needed OT...why? Because Kuemper isn't going to win a game for you. He can maybe hold down the fort but if I am an Avs fan I am very nervous about him holding a lead....which the Avs have proven when they try to sit back to protect him that doesnt work as well...........going to be a great final, and likely 6-7 games baring an injury to a major start that tilts the ice the other way.

Didn't the Rangers win the first 2 at home? Didn't Toronto have a 3-2 lead on the Bolts? Amazing to see the Tampa Bay obituaries in the first 10 minutes of the game last night.
- LAHawk

Colorado is head and shoulders above NYR and TOR, it's not close. Maybe 88 can steal the series, but that's a high hurdle. I expect COL to outshoot, and out chance TB every game. Let's not forget that COL had a long layoff, so that's likely not their best game.

We'll see, that's why they play the games, but if I was wagering, it would be on COL.

Didn't the Rangers win the first 2 at home? Didn't Toronto have a 3-2 lead on the Bolts? Amazing to see the Tampa Bay obituaries in the first 10 minutes of the game last night.
- LAHawk

Yep....and they faced a lot better competition in the Leafs, Panthers, and Rangers vs the Preds, Blues, and Oilers.

Avs are a fantastic team but if they lose because of Kuemper Sakic should be raked over the coals because IMO to continue to band aid along the goalie position year after year in 29's prime is likely why we see him lose his damn mind in a series he gets eliminated in....like last year vs Vegas.

We all are also forgetting that Jon Cooper is a pretty damn good coach and with an extra day off between games 1 and 2 I bet we see some in game changes that the Avs will need to adjust to.

Colorado is head and shoulders above NYR and TOR, it's not close. Maybe 88 can steal the series, but that's a high hurdle. I expect COL to outshoot, and out chance TB every game. Let's not forget that COL had a long layoff, so that's likely not their best game.

We'll see, that's why they play the games, but if I was wagering, it would be on COL.
- scottak

I agree that Colorado is the best team the Bolts have faced.....but the Bolts are by far the best team the Avs have faced in every facet.

IMO...this series comes down to Kuemper vs 88.

88 can win games on his own....Kuemper can not, and the avs will need Kuemper to find the highest level to win 3 more. They damn near lost last night, after blitzing Tampa, and dominating all the stats you listed....why?

I agree that Colorado is the best team the Bolts have faced.....but the Bolts are by far the best team the Avs have faced in every facet.

IMO...this series comes down to Kuemper vs 88.

88 can win games on his own....Kuemper can not, and the avs will need Kuemper to find the highest level to win 3 more. They damn near lost last night, after blitzing Tampa, and dominating all the stats you listed....why?
- SteveRain

Not really defending Kuemper, but this was his first game back in about 16 days. I'm personally with scottak in thinking that the Avs are most likely going to win, but I don't think 88 will continue to let in softies.

Not really defending Kuemper, but this was his first game back in about 16 days. I'm personally with scottak in thinking that the Avs are most likely going to win, but I don't think 88 will continue to let in softies.
- Chunk

I have a feeling that's what they'll continue to call them if 88 let's in more goals.

That's a good point with all that rest and coming out and still dominating possession like that vs Bolts is impressive. Bolts came out vs Rangers with all that rest and they looked not so good.

I agree that Colorado is the best team the Bolts have faced.....but the Bolts are by far the best team the Avs have faced in every facet.

IMO...this series comes down to Kuemper vs 88.

88 can win games on his own....Kuemper can not, and the avs will need Kuemper to find the highest level to win 3 more. They damn near lost last night, after blitzing Tampa, and dominating all the stats you listed....why?
- SteveRain

Bolts team defense pretty much made the Rangers a perimeter team after game 2. Problem is the Bolts are probably facing a better team in the neutral zone than themselves.

Imo unless they clone 88 and have 2 of them in net at the same time, Avs will probably win this series.

Not really defending Kuemper, but this was his first game back in about 16 days. I'm personally with scottak in thinking that the Avs are most likely going to win, but I don't think 88 will continue to let in softies.
- Chunk

That game last night from Kuemper is what you get if he played without injury. Check his stats.....he and Francouz aren't good. Maybe they won't bite the Avs because the Avs can make up for it elsewhere but if the Avs DO lose I bet the main reason is they got outplayed in goal

What I am saying is the team that gave the Avs the "biggest scare" this postseason was STL because Binnington found his game until he got ran.

Look at the other goalies the Avs have faced.....Ingram, Husso, Smith....you can only face who you face, but it's not like they have beaten any decent playoff goalie yet. On top of that, when the Avs failed to advance in previous years it was because their goalie got outplayed by a Fleury or a red hot Khudobin.....

The Avs are a great team from D on up....my rebuttal to you is that if 88 plays on par to his normal game, the Avs will get a long series from Tampa, and if 88 brings his A game from here on out...the Avs will need a miracle from Kuemper.

As much as the Avs have an advantage in speed, they have the EXACT same problem the Oilers had/have and that is they have 2 sieves in net. yes, they can work to stay 200 ft away but look at stats from last night...shots, scoring chances, and they still needed OT...why? Because Kuemper isn't going to win a game for you. He can maybe hold down the fort but if I am an Avs fan I am very nervous about him holding a lead....which the Avs have proven when they try to sit back to protect him that doesnt work as well...........going to be a great final, and likely 6-7 games baring an injury to a major start that tilts the ice the other way.
- SteveRain

The Avs make good teams look bad at passing. Did it to the Preds, Blues and Oil. Last night if you told me which team had the long lay off i would of said the Bolts. It was a good game last night but i just think the Avs will actually be better going forward.

I have a feeling that's what they'll continue to call them if 88 let's in more goals.

That's a good point with all that rest and coming out and still dominating possession like that vs Bolts is impressive. Bolts came out vs Rangers with all that rest and they looked not so good.
- BetweenTheDots

Come on man....every "expert" who watched that game last night said 88 wanted those 1st, 2 goals back.

He had one go through him outside the dot on goal 1
He had one go through him 5 hole when he was out to challenge

He also had a bad angle shot go off the bar early on because he was off his angle. He was off his game last night.

I wonder if the high altitude effected Tampa. The last half of the 3rd period they looked a little gassed. It also could be that the Av’s were a more rested team coming in after a decent layoff in between series, they are a little younger, and have not had played nearly as many games as Tampa the last 3 seasons.

The Avs make good teams look bad at passing. Did it to the Preds, Blues and Oil. Last night if you told me which team had the long lay off i would of said the Bolts. It was a good game last night but i just think the Avs will actually be better going forward.
- BetweenTheDots

I do hope the Avs win.....but if Tampa wins I hope Sakic gets hammered as he could have made a run at Fleury at the deadline.

I wonder if the high altitude effected Tampa. The last half of the 3rd period they looked a little gassed. It also could be that the Av’s were a more rested team coming in after a decent layoff in between series, they are a little younger, and have not had played nearly as many games as Tampa the last 3 seasons.
- Ztra

My thoughts also ,they were talking about it on the CBC broadcast and Vessy mentioned it . Team coming off a tough series short break high altitude excuses I know but valid ones . This series will come down to goaltending in the long run and I don't believe the Avs have it .I would like to see the west win ,as all the know nothing Leafs fans will be pumping thier chest saying could have been us all summer .lol

They do not play again until Saturday. Tampa will be as acclimated to mile high air as they can be by Saturday.

Because those Russian players broke a law???
- vabeachbear

We can agree to disagree how many more hostages do you want to see in the future?

Please don't make Brittany Griner the next George Floyd. I wish our government had the balls to detain people entering our country who are breaking our laws.
- powerenforcer

Totally different she's a hostage plain and simple. It has nothing to do with race and police brutality.

That game last night from Kuemper is what you get if he played without injury. Check his stats.....he and Francouz aren't good. Maybe they won't bite the Avs because the Avs can make up for it elsewhere but if the Avs DO lose I bet the main reason is they got outplayed in goal
- SteveRain

For their careers, they are both (Francouz and Kuemper) mid-2's GAA and around .920 save %, career playoff numbers are slightly worse (2.8 and .910 for Kuemper).

Vas has almost identical regular season stats, but he gets better in the playoffs (2.25 and .925).

When i say young i mean the 15-16 players that are (about) just hitting their prime hockey years.
- BetweenTheDots

We thought that in 2016, poof and it's gone.

I do hope the Avs win.....but if Tampa wins I hope Sakic gets hammered as he could have made a run at Fleury at the deadline.
- SteveRain

For sure but like i said before that team reminds me a lot of the 2010 Blackhawks

We thought that in 2016, poof and it's gone.
- rpeters01

Unfortunately we only had 3 Dmen and one of them was playing injured.

Unfortunately we only had 3 Dmen and one of them was playing injured.
- BetweenTheDots

All those playoff games age a player quickly.