Playing for the first time since June 4 due to a thumb injury, Country skated over Andrei Vasilevsky and slipped a shot under the goalkeeper’s right hand to give Colorado a 3-1 lead. “It was a huge victory. “A resilient victory,” said Country, who has been sidelined since being injured in the third game of the Western Conference final against Edmonton. “I’ve been waiting for it my whole life,” the Colorado center added. “I thought it was time to join the party.” Chinostivada overcame Keravnos with 11-3 in overtime. Vasilevsky stopped Logan O’Connor in a dismissal, and Colorado had a shot that hit the crossbar and another hit the crossbar before Country shot it. Game 5 is on Friday night in Denver, where Colorado won the first two games of the series and is 7-2 this post-season. Anthony Cirelli scored in the 36 seconds of the match and Victor Hedman also scored in the Lightning regulations. They led 2-1 in the third period. Nathan MacKinnon scored in a second-round power play for Colorado and Andrew Cogliano equalized early in the third. Darcy Kuemper, retired from the 3rd game after scoring five goals in a 6-2 defeat, stopped 37 shots and had an assist in the winning goal for Avalanche. Vasilevskiy finished with 35 saves. He has rebounds from scoring 11 goals in Games 1 and 2 to limit Avalanche to a high score in the last two games. The Lightning are aiming to become the first team to win at least three consecutive Stanley Cup titles since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980-83. Avalanche last won the Cup in 2001. The Lightning have recovered from playing badly in Games 1 and 2 to make it interesting by neutralizing Colorado’s speed, limiting Avalanche’s scoring opportunities and increasing the pressure on Kuemper, who was just tested when he had just 16 shots in 7 -0. in game 2. Cirelli’s goal was the fastest in a Stanley Cup final since 2006, and Lightning set the tone for another busy night for Kuemper, beating Avalanche 17-4 in the opening period. Two of Colorado’s shots came while skating with a short arm, killing the first power play of the night in Tampa Bay. MacKinnon’s first goal in a row – the 12th in the playoffs – cleared Colorado’s early deficit at 5:17 in the second period. Avalanche shot again when Cogliano, with the help of Nico Sturm and Darren Helm, scored in a deflection of less than three minutes in the third. INJURIES Country returned to the starting line-up after losing four games. He had been out since he injured his thumb when he boarded by Evander Kane in Colorado Game 3 to wipe Edmonton in the Western Conference Finals. Kane received a large penalty and a game was stopped As expected, Lightning right winger Nikita Kucherov played, while center Braden Point was again left out of the starting line-up for the defending champions. Kucherov left Game 3 after a cross from Devon Toews of Colorado. Point played in the first two games of the Final after losing 10 in a row due to an injury to his right foot. Avalanche left winger Andre Burakovsky (hand) lost his second consecutive game. Injured by blocking a shot in game 2. HELPING HANDS Mikko Rantanen and Cale Maker helped MacKinnon’s goal, giving both of them 20 this season – a franchise record for just one year of playoffs. Peter Stastny was 19 with Quebec in 1985.
