Through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final, it felt like Tampa Bay was battling several opponents instead of the Colorado Avalanche. Poor performance, unforced errors, and a supremely talented Avalanche team was looking to dethrone the two-time defending champs. It led to two deserved losses, one close and one a demonstrable embarrassment that left many bewildered this could happen on the sports biggest stage.
Then Monday night's Game 3 happened, and Tampa Bay reminded everyone why they are the two-time defending champions. They still had to overcome adversity as Colorado scored first for the third straight game, but the Lightning fought back in a manner that instilled far more confidence than they had in Games 1 or 2.