The winner was shot by André Burakovsky in the extra time.
The Colorado Avalanche celebrated the winning goal after a minute and a half. AOP / USA TODAY Sports
The NHL Stanley Cup Finals kicked off with the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning meeting. Colorado won the first leg in the playoffs 4–3 André Burakovskyn with a winning goal.
Finns in Colorado Mikko Rantanen and Artturi Lehkonen were in the big role in the team’s first attachment to the Stanley Cup trophy.
Colorado immediately rushed to the lead with two goals in the opening round. Rantanen pulled towards the goal and was first in the loose puck Gabriel Landeskog.
Less than two minutes later, the Russian striker Valeri Nichushinin the shot changed direction and it surprised Tampa’s goalkeeper Andrei Vasilevskin.
Tampa Bay narrowed to 1-2 after the middle of the lot. Nick Paul fought for free from the Colorado defense and a little luckily pushed the puck to the finish line through.
The Finns once again joined forces in the opening round with superiority. Rantanen baited to the goal corner, from where Lehkonen guided the puck inside.
The second batch was from Tampa’s screen. First Ondřej Palát finished Nikita Kucherovin from a great presentation to 2-3 in the game. Less than a minute later Mikhail Sergachov sent a puck from the line through the pole past the Colorado guard Darcy Kuemperin.
No goals were seen in the third round, but only a minute and 23 seconds of overtime were played when Burakovsky shot a direct-winning goal to Colorado from Nitshushkin’s pass.
The second match of the series will be played on the night between Saturday and Sunday at three o’clock in Finnish time.
Artturi Lehkonen was responsible for the 3–1 goal in Colorado. AOP / USA TODAY Sports