Stanley Cup Wrap-up: Colorado's Intensity is Tough to Match
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Though it took six games, the Colorado Avalanche won the Stanley Cup on Sunday night with a 2-1 road win over the Tampa Bay Lightning. Colorado scored twice in the second period as Artturi Lehkonen tallied the game-winning goal. It was the fourth time his goal proved to be the one of record.
When the Colorado Avalanche plays well, few teams can match their intensity. Tampa Bay came closest. Each final three games featured one-goal contests that could go either way.
Canadian sports wagerers expected Colorado to win this series after winning the first two games. Credit Tampa Bay for fighting back and forcing a Game 6 in Tampa Bay. They were the two-time defending champions for a reason.
Let us take a closer look at what happened with a bit of betting analysis.
The Stanley Cup Over And The Under
The final round began with a bang, with 22 combined goals. Yes, those first three games were electrifying. Then, there were the last three games — those combined for a mere 13 goals. Now, the Over/Under went Over, Over, Under, Under, and Under.
Andrei Vasilevskiy stole Game 5 in particular. It was more than the 37 saves. Some of those saves were ridiculous. It was also incredible how many shot props Colorado delivered in this Stanley Cup Final. There were so many Overs. Again, the fifth game saw four different Avalanche have 5+ shots on goal.
There were defenses and timely goal scoring. Cale Makar might not have had an impact on this Stanley Cup run. He played more than 27 minutes per game throughout this Stanley Cup run. His ability to transition from defense to offense kept Tampa Bay on their heels. Yes, Makar won the Conn Smythe trophy (29 points in the postseason).
Colorado and Tampa Bay will be a series talked about for some time, even from a betting perspective.
In The End, Nathan MacKinnon Delivered
The Avalanche needed more production from Nathan MacKinnon. On Sunday night, the center had just one goal on 30 shots in the series (3.3% shooting percentage). There were two moments. One tied the game, and one gave Colorado the lead for good. That’s all it took.
MacKinnon led all players with seven shots on goal in Game 6. He tied the game early in the second period on a near-perfect shot. Then, MacKinnon set up Lehkonen on what proved to be the series-clinching tally. From there, the center led the way as he blocked shots, took hits to make plays, and helped Colorado lock things down.
Tampa Bay pressed but managed a mere four shots in the third period. None came in the first 10 minutes. Colorado’s defense, which had been a little inconsistent at times, shut the Lightning down when it mattered most.
If that was not enough, Colorado, from a betting standpoint, won the Stanley Cup as a wire-to-wire favorite. Nathan MacKinnon did not win the Conn Smythe as some initially expected, but he won the next best thing — the Stanley Cup.
With the Stanley Cup awarded, there is still the NHL Draft, free agency, and a little more as the summer continues. It has been some run, and congratulations to the Colorado Avalanche.
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