Nazem Kadri on Wednesday lashed in an overtime winner as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-2 in overtime to move within one win of the Stanley Cup crown.
Kadri flashed a shot past Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy deep into the first period of sudden-death overtime at Tampa Bay’s Amalie Arena to put the Avalanche 3-1 up in their best-of-seven series.
The Avalanche can clinch the NHL championship today with a victory against the reigning Stanley Cup holders in Game 5 in Denver, Colorado.
Photo: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY
Kadri’s winner came as he returned to the Avalanche lineup after an 18-day layoff following surgery on an injured thumb.
“That was a huge win. We stuck with it and were able to get it done in the OT [overtime],” Kadri said after a game in which the Lightning twice came from behind to level in regulation.
Kadri said that at first he was unsure his winning shot had found the net.
“I thought he made the save for a second,” he said. “The next thing you know, people are sprinting toward me. It’s a great feeling.”
Earlier, the Lightning got off to a dream start, taking the lead after just 36 seconds when center Anthony Cirelli rebounded Erik Cernak’s shot and fired it past Avalanche goaltender Darcy Kuemper.
Buoyed by that early strike, the Lightning poured forward, looking to add to their lead, but they were unable to find a way past Kuemper, who produced a magnificent display of shot-stopping to keep the Lightning in the game.
The Avalanche goalie stopped 16 of 17 shots faced and parried away several rebound opportunities.
It was a badly needed return to form for Kuemper, who was pulled during a miserable outing in Game 3 after shipping five goals in a 6-2 drubbing on Monday.
The Avalanche, having weathered the first-period blitz — when the Avalanche managed just four shots to 17 by the Lightning — turned things around in the second period.
The Avalanche finally drew level when Mikko Rantanen’s shot deflected off MacKinnon’s skate to beat Lightning goaltender Vasilevskiy.
However, the Lightning regained the lead midway through the second period with a moment of magic from defenseman Victor Hedman. The towering Swede gathered the puck near halfway and weaved up the ice before rifling an angled back-handed shot past Kuemper to make it 2-1.
However, the Avalanche maintained their poise and again drew level in the third period, with Nico Sturm finishing on a rebound after Vasilevskiy’s save.
The Avalanche looked far stronger in overtime, but the Lightning had Vasilevskiy to thank for a series of superb saves.
Logan O’Connor and Gabriel Landeskog saw their shots blocked by Vasilevskiy, while Bowen Byram rattled the crossbar.
Vasilevskiy was finally beaten by Kadri to leave the Avalanche just one win away from the title.
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