More than one member of the Tampa Bay Lightning left Ball Arena on Saturday night muttering something about looking themselves in the mirror.
The Avalanche’s 7-0 throttling to stake a 2-0 lead in the Stanley Cup Final had that type of effect on Tampa Bay. Undisciplined and dejected, the Lightning will head back home facing the same deficit it stared at after two games of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Rangers.
But those Rangers might not have the two-way firepower Colorado possesses. Between Nathan MacKinnon’s speed, Cale Maker’s graceful transitions and Valeri Nichushkin’s power, the Avalanche represented a full complement of dominance Saturday night.