Stanley Cup Final blog: Alex Newhook

Colorado Avalanche forward Alex Newhook will be keeping his own blog throughout the 2022 Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning. He will check in regularly with behind-the-scenes access.
In his third entry, Newhook talks Game 2, which the Avalanche won 7-0 to take a 2-0 lead in the best-of-7 series. Newhook, playing on a line with Andrew Cogliano, who returned from a hand injury sustained in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final, assisted on each of the first two goals for his first points of the series. He also discussed the challenges that lay ahead in Game 3, which is at Amalie Arena in Tampa on Monday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, CBC, SN, TVAS).

That's a big win for us. Lots of offense, seven goals at that. It's a big night for us, something we can build on for Game 3 on Monday.
We got off to a good start. I tried to do what I can to chip in. I had a couple of good looks there and the guys capitalized.
It was an exciting night, especially with the points. I'm happy to just be in the lineup and contributing to a team like this at this point in the season. It's really doing everything I can, everything we all can to win and sticking with that.
It's great that so many different players scored in this game. You need the depth. You need the depth every night.
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It was great to have Andrew Cogliano back. He's a presence. He's been around and he knows what it is like to be in this situation. He has that calm demeanor and that leadership trait, and it's noticed in the room and on the ice. He also brings that speed, he can skate, forecheck well and get pucks up the ice. It was noticed tonight. It was great to play with him and to have him back.
Now we go to Tampa for a huge Game 3. I think we have learned a lot in these playoffs when we get in a situation like this not to take our foot off the gas. It's going to be huge for us to go in and have the same mindset for Game 3. It's a good situation. It's a great opportunity for us to win and take control of the series. We know where we are at, but everyone is still dialed in and we know what we have to do here.
My family is still here, so that was cool. My mom and sister were thinking about going to Tampa, but I haven't heard yet. They enjoyed it, for sure.
I've enjoyed the experience of being in the Final as well. It's pretty crazy. I've tried to take some moments to take it all in. It's pretty intense, you know, a hectic environment right now. But I try to take a few moments here and there to look around, take it all in and know where I am at. At the same time, I'm trying to treat it like any other series, any other game. We're just trying to do what we can to win and think about everything else after that.