Oct 23, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Colorado Avalanche defenseman Cale Makar (8) celebrates after scoring the game winning goal against the Tampa Bay Lightning during a shoot out at Amalie Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
The Tampa Bay Lightning have skated around the rink hoisting the Stanley Cup to cap the last two postseasons.
The Colorado Avalanche thought they would be the team performing that ritual last summer, but an unexpected second-round exit left them far short of their goal. Now they get a chance to sweep the defending champs in the current regular season when they play host to the Lightning on Thursday in Denver.
The game was originally scheduled for Dec. 18, but COVID-19 issues postponed the meeting.
Colorado won the first matchup 4-3 in a shootout at Tampa on Oct. 23. Nathan MacKinnon had a goal and two assists, but he won’t be on the ice for the rematch. MacKinnon has missed the last three games with a nose fracture and concussion that came in a win over Boston on Jan. 26.
MacKinnon has resumed skating but was in a non-contact jersey for Wednesday’s practice. With the Avalanche sitting atop the Western Conference and playing well despite missing their best player, coach Jared Bednar said he wants to be cautious with MacKinnon.
“As we got into the break, we kind of felt like he might need a little bit more time,” Bednar said. “We wanted to give him the time through the break to make sure he was feeling good, so when he came out of the break, he can start ramping up to play. So we got into the break and we started targeting Sunday for his return date now.
“Everything’s going to have to go smoothly and he’s going to have to make the right steps here over the next few days in order to be ready to go.”
Colorado recalled Dylan Sikura to add forward depth for Thursday’s game.
The Lightning, like the Avalanche, have not played since Feb. 1 and are 7-1-1 in their last nine games but sit three points behind NHL-leading Florida.
Tampa Bay will try to do what no team has done in Denver since Oct. 26 — beat Colorado in regulation. The Avalanche had their 18-game home winning streak halted with a shootout loss to Arizona on Feb. 1.
The Lightning will be a good measuring stick for Colorado, which feels it has built a team that can win it all. Tampa Bay is stacked with Stanley Cup experience and kept one of those players around with a contract extension.
Pat Maroon, who was going to be an unrestricted free agent after this season, will now be with the Lightning through 2023-24. Maroon is somewhat of a lucky charm in that he has won the Stanley Cup for three seasons running – in 2019 with St. Louis and the last two with Tampa Bay.
“Me and my family love it here in Tampa,” Maroon said. “The organization has been nothing but good to us, and to be a part of such a great organization itself, the opportunities they give you every single year to win and the players they provide to play with and the leadership here is nothing but remarkable.”
–Field Level Media