With their series lead trimmed to 2-1, the Avalanche have goalkeeping issues to address heading into Game 4 on Wednesday night at Amalie Arena. On Tuesday, coach Jared Bednar declined to name his Game 4 starter; he had said after Game 3 that the Avalanche would evaluate everything at the net.
Kuemper allowed five goals on 22 shots before being replaced by Pavel Francouz, who recorded 10 saves on 11 shots. Kuemper had a couple of good point-blank saves early on, but he couldn’t make the saves when it mattered most.
“[Kuemper] I didn’t have a good night. Neither does our team,” Bednar said after Colorado’s 6-2 loss. “We win as a team, we lose as a team. I’m going to group it with all the others. It just wasn’t as good as we needed to be.”
Kuemper has been Colorado’s starter for most of the season, but Francouz was solid off the bench, posting a .916 save percentage and a 2.55 goals-against average. And when Kuemper suffered an upper-body injury in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals, Francouz stayed strong, helping the Avalanche prevail in a sweep.
Still, despite Francouz’s efforts, Bednar returned to Kuemper as the starter for Game 1 of the finals. Kuemper delivered in the first two games, including a 16-save shutout during Colorado’s dominant 7-0 victory in Game 2.
Bednar praised Kuemper’s efforts after Game 1 and his teammates said they aren’t worried.
“Totally confident [he can bounce back],” defenseman Josh Manson said. “He is in the National Hockey League for a reason. He will recover.
Center Nathan MacKinnon added: “It’s the Stanley Cup final. We’re not expecting a sweep. . . . We knew they were too proud to leave. We still feel good. We feel good with our team, from top to bottom”.
Vasilevskiy was outstanding in Game 3, regaining his form after allowing all seven of Colorado’s goals in Game 2. Vasilevskiy made 37 saves in Game 3. Coach Jon Cooper said the goalie’s composure can be attributed to his experience and mind growth.
“Every time a goal comes in, everyone looks at him and … I think the gift that has made him great is the ability to turn the page,” Cooper said.
The Russian star, like many Lightning players, has been through adversity. Facing a 2-0 series deficit, and being on the wrong end of a blowout, wasn’t a foreign concept. Forward Nicholas Paul said Vasilevskiy’s determination and focus impressed him most. So when he went through a tough Game 2, the team wasn’t worried.
“It certainly gives us confidence back there,” defenseman Zach Bogosian said. “He is a special player who does not appear very often. So obviously we’re very lucky to have him, and he’s been the backbone of this organization for as long as he’s been here. It’s impressive to watch.”
Grades: Cooper said forward Nikita Kucherov is expected to play in Game 4. He left late in Game 3 after taking a heavy cross-check from Colorado defenseman Devon Toews. But center Brayden Point, who missed Game 3, is “very doubtful” about playing Wednesday, Cooper said. Point suffered a lower body injury in Game 7 of the first round and did not play again until Games 1 and 2 of the finals. . . .
Colorado forward Andre Burakovsky, who was injured in the second period of Game 2, had not yet joined the team in Tampa as of Tuesday afternoon, Bednar said. He was still receiving treatment in Denver. Bednar said center Nazem Kadri is making progress after thumb surgery and is optimistic Kadri will be an option at some point in the Finals.
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