Stanley Cup Final Game 2 live blog: Lightning vs. Avalanche

Welcome to the 2022 Stanley Cup Final.
Game 2 is over, and the Colorado Avalanche lead the best-of-7 series 2-0 after a dominating 7-0 win.
It was a celebratory scene at Ball Arena and all over Denver, and NHL.com senior director of editorial Shawn P. Roarke was there to provide all the all the sights, sounds and action.

10:55 p.m. ET
The Colorado Avalanche won Game 2 of the Stanley Cup Final, defeating the Tampa Bay Lightning 7-0 at Ball Arena in as thorough a win as we've seen at this stage of the playoffs.
Colorado, which is now 14-2 in the playoffs, has outscored Tampa Bay 11-3 through two games.
The shutout was the second Tampa Bay has suffered since the start of the 2020 playoffs. The other came in Game 1 of the 2022 Eastern Conference First Round against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
It was a nonstop party for the fans almost from the start Saturday as the Avalanche were on top of their game from the start to the finish, using their speed and tenacity to outclass the visitors.
Teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-7 when starting at home hold a series record of 256-34 (.883), including 37-3 (.925) in the Stanley Cup Final.
Game 3 is at Tampa Bay on Monday (8 p.m. ET; ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVAS).
The Lightning lost the first two games of the Eastern Conference Final to the New York Rangers before winning the next four games.
The only bad news for the Avalanche is that Andre Burakovsky never returned after sustaining an injury in the second period.
Thanks for joining me for what proved to be an unforgettable Game 2. We'll see you on Monday from Tampa Bay. Enjoy your Father's Day!
10:35 p.m. ET
Cale Makar strikes again at 9:49 of the third period, and the Avalanche have a touchdown lead on the Lightning, 7-0.
This time, it was on the power play and the shot was to the glove side, instead of the last goal, which Makar scored shorthanded and to the blocker side.
Makar has seven goals this postseason, which is the Avalanche record for a defenseman, surpassing Rob Blake, who scored six in 2001 and again in 2002. His 24 points are the sixth most in Colorado/Quebec Nordiques history, passing Claude Lemieux, Milan Hejduk and Peter Stastny, each of whom had 23.
10:25 p.m. ET
Cale Makar just scored on the penalty kill to make it 6-0 with 2:04 gone in the third period.
Before this series started, Colorado general manager Joe Sakic was talking about how good the defensemen were for the 2001 Avalanche, a team he captained and the most recent Colorado team to win the Cup, a group headlined by Rob Blake and Ray Bourque.
Then, he said that the defensemen of the 2021-22 Avalanche, headlined by Makar and Devon Toews, may be just as good.
Statistically they are better.
When Makar scored, it was the 16th goal by a defenseman for the Avalanche in the 2022 playoffs, one more than the previous Colorado record, set in 2001. Makar has six of those goals, but this was his first point of the Final.
Defenseman Josh Manson also scored in Game 2, with a 2-on-1 goal in the first period.

10 p.m. ET
That's it for two periods. Colorado leads 5-0, and the fans spent the final minute of the second period loudly chanting, ''We want the Cup!''
Well, Colorado is almost halfway there, having to survive one more period without allowing six goals to take a 2-0 series lead.
Shots are 23-12, and the Lightning have had maybe three Grade-A chances.
The Avalanche, on the other hand, had at least four odd-man breaks in the second period alone.
Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy has not been bad in this game, but it will be interesting to see if he is replaced by backup goalie Brian Elliott for the third period.
9:50 p.m. ET
With the Avalanche leading 5-0 in the final two minutes of the second period, there is little drama heading into the third period, especially if the Lightning can't find early push.
Darren Helm scored with 3:34 remaining in the second period for the fifth goal.
Colorado has five goals on 19 shots against Andrei Vasilevskiy, who has allowed nine goals in a little more than five periods. Tampa Bay has 10 shots on goals.
So let's create some drama.
Valeri Nichushkin, the best player on the ice so far in this series, has two goals in Game 2.
Can he get a third for a hat trick in the Final?
If you are wondering, it would be the 40th hat trick in Final history, but the first in 26 years. Ironically, it was Peter Forsberg of the Avalanche who turned that trick in Game 2 of the 1996 Final against the Florida Panthers.

9:35 p.m. ET
They just played "Detroit Rock City" by KISS in the arena, and I will tell you who is not feeling uptight on this Saturday night: the Colorado Avalanche.
They lead 4-0 midway through the game and have not had to rely on their big names.
Neither Nathan MacKinnon, Gabriel Landeskog nor Cale Makar has a point, and Darcy Kuemper has had to make 10 saves, the only truly testing ones coming on the Lightning's only power play early in the second period.
The only concern for the Avalanche at this point might be the health of Andre Burakovsky, who has scored in each of the first two games. He went to the dressing room earlier in the period and has not returned.
9:25 p.m. ET
Things have gone from bad to worse here for the Lightning, who are now losing 4-0 after Valeri Nichushkin scored his second goal of the game at 4:51 of the second period after a brutal turnover by the Lightning behind their own net.
The Lightning clearly need some inspiration, and they can find it in the form of Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady, who authored perhaps the greatest comeback in NFL playoff history when his New England Patriots rallied from down 28-3 against the Atlanta Falcons in the second half of Super Bowl LI to win 34-28 in overtime.
Brady, along with several other local pro athletes, wished the Lightning luck in Game 2 in a
video
shared by the Lightning on their social channels.
So far, the rally has not started.
Five minutes into the second period, Tampa Bay does not have a shot and is being outshot 15-5 for the game.
But the Lightning are going on the power play for the first time, and it could provide the jolt they need. Jack Johnson is in the box for hooking at 5:35.
The Ball Arena DJ is rolling out the classics, playing "Immigrant Song" and "T.N.T" back to back.

9:15 p.m. ET
The Lightning are two-time Stanley Cup champions and have won 11 straight series for a reason. They can adjust on the fly, and they are well-versed in living in the present.
They'll have to be as the puck drops on the second period.
It'll be interesting to see how they respond to this stunning turn of events in the first period of Game 2, which the Avalanche lead 3-0.
They are only the third team in the history of the Cup Final to score at least three first-period goals in each of the first two games, joining the 1981 New York Islanders and the 1936 Detroit Red Wings.
It's not the score that is the most shocking, but rather the domination that led to that score. Yes, the Lightning were down 3-1 in Game 1 and forced overtime, but that period was played on more even terms.
There was nothing even about the first period of Game 2.
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said before the game that it is the coach's job to put a game plan in place for success, and then it is up to the players to execute it.
Neither did their job in the first period, and now there must be adjustments and the effort must change.
The second period will have to be better for the Lightning to have a chance, but it will require the heart of a champion in this hostile environment.
9 p.m. ET
After one period in Game 2, the Colorado Avalanche lead the Tampa Bay Lightning 3-0, and the partying is in full swing at Ball Arena.
Valeri Nichushkin, Josh Manson and Andre Burakovsky have scored for the Avalanche, who outshot the Lightning 11-5 in the period.
Tampa Bay did not have a sniff in the first period, which was dominated territorially by Colorado.
By the end of the period, the Lightning were trying to rattle goalie Darcy Kuemper by bumping him. Corey Perry took a roughing penalty for an altercation with the goalie, and there were several dustups around the crease in the final two minutes.
It was a tactic that worked well late in the last round against the New York Rangers and goalie Igor Shesterkin, but to be successful here they will need more sustained pressure in the next two periods.
8:50 p.m. ET
The defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning are being spun right round by the Colorado Avalanche in Game 2.
Andre Burakovsky, the Game 1 overtime hero, scored at 13:52 of the first to give Colorado a 3-0 lead. Tampa Bay has two shots.
After the goal, the game presentation crew played "You Spin Me Round (Like a Record)" by Dead or Alive.
There may not be a more apt song.
After not allowing three first-period goals in any of his first 99 playoff starts, Andrei Vasilevskiy has done it in consecutive games.
The Lightning have to figure out a way to stagger to the dressing room and come up with a plan to slow the Avalanche transition and unlock the suffocating defense Colorado has brought to bear.

8:40 p.m. ET
This is the perfect start for the Avalanche, who now lead 2-0 midway through the first period and are dominating territorially.
Defenseman Josh Manson scored on a 2-on-1 break at 7:55, eschewing the pass for a shot over the shoulder of goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy, who allowed three goals in the first period of Game 1 and two on the first five shots in Game 2.
Andrew Cogliano, who returned to the lineup for Game 2 from a hand injury, earned the primary assist, and Alex Newhook got his second assist of the game, much to the delight of all of Newfoundland. They are partying on George Street right now, for sure.
Sure, the power-play goal by Valeri Nichushkin helped set the tone, but it has been more telling that the Lightning can't get into the attacking zone with any speed or confidence because the Avalanche have slowed them through the neutral zone and transitioned beautifully to counter the forecheck, as evidenced on the goal by Manson.
8:25 p.m. ET
Lightning coach Jon Cooper said that his players had to weather a 10-minute storm to have a chance in Game 2.
Well, the challenge of that started almost immediately.
Valeri Nichushkin scored at 2:54 on the power play, redirecting home a nice pass from Andre Burakovsky. NHL.com blogger Alex Newhook had the secondary assist.
Sixty-one seconds into the game, Lightning defenseman Ryan McDonagh took a penalty as the Avalanche pressed almost immediately.
Colorado also scored first in Game 1 as well.
This place is going bonkers.

8:10 p.m. ET
We're just about ready for puck drop in Game 2.
The atmosphere is electric. This place was full a good 20 minutes before the start of the game, and the crowd is ready to party.
They went absolutely bizonkers when Bernie the St. Bernard, the mascot, took the ice, toting a playoff flag. Bernie, by the way, is a top-five mascot in the NHL. Few, if any, are cooler than him when he is circling the ice at top speed.
They got even louder during the pregame videos and booed vociferously when the referees appeared on the ice and were deafening when the scoreboard told them they were the home-ice advantage and throughout the introductions of the Game 2 starters.
It's so loud in here, it's hard to think. I hope that is not reflected in my copy.
Let's play some hockey!
7:55 p.m. ET
The teams are on the ice for warmups, and this place is already a nut house, fans waving their white pom-poms and screaming. The pom-poms are everywhere, by the way, even the bomb-sniffing dog at the media entrance to the arena had one stuffed into its vest. Got to support this team.
Forward Andrew Cogliano is back in the lineup for the Avalanche. He had not played since sustaining a hand injury in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final sweep against the Edmonton Oilers, but only missed Game 1 of the Final.
Cogliano, who will likely play on a line with Nico Sturm and Alex Newhook, has three points (two goals, one assist) in 11 playoff games this season. He replaces Nicolas Aube-Kubel.
Forward Nazem Kadri, injured in Game 3 against the Oilers, remains out, although he has been skating for several days.
The Lightning went with the same lineup from Game 1, and their coach, Jon Cooper, said he expects Brayden Point to be much better in Game 2. He returned in Game 1 after sustaining a lower-body injury May 14, during the first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Tampa Bay is 19-1 after a loss during the playoffs in the past three seasons.
7:40 p.m. ET
Excitement is at a fever pitch for Game 2 here in Denver, downtown loaded with fans in various Avalanche sweaters getting in some pre-partying in LoDo. Not even a flash thunderstorm, which hopefully takes the sweltering temperatures down a few degrees, could dissuade the fans from gathering in huge numbers across the street at the Tivoli for a pregame concert by DJ Griz.
The fans are fired up to watch their local heroes try take a 2-0 lead in the series, although we did see several Lightning jerseys from our bus on the ride to the arena.
Teams with a 2-0 lead in a best-of-7 hold a series record of 341-54 (.863), including 47-5 (.904) in the Stanley Cup Final. In 2022, teams are 4-2 in series after winning the first two games. The Lightning rallied to defeat the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals is six games, and the Rangers did so in the second round against the Hurricanes in seven games.
Thanks for joining us for what should be a wild ride. We'll be back with lineup news from the pregame skate in just a bit.