Stanley Cup Rundown: Bolt’s Brayden Point game-time decision and Avs’ Andre Burakovsky day-to-day
Anthony Scultore
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The Colorado Avalanche will look to bring their offensive fireworks show to Amalie Arena in Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
After a 7-0 blowout in Game 2, the Avs are on the verge of taking a commanding 3-0 series lead and putting a serious damper on the Lightning’s quest for a third-straight championship.
“Everybody poses a different challenge, and these guys pose a challenge that we haven’t quite seen,” Tampa head coach Jon Cooper said. “We just got to overcome it. It’s time to man up and get stuff done.”
The first order of business for the Bolts will be to win the first period, which would be a monumental plus. In the first two games of this series Colorado has scored three goals in each of the opening frames.
Brayden Point a game-time decision
Point, 26, did not take part in the morning skate on Monday and is listed as a game-time decision. He has one assist in two games of the Stanley Cup Final.
If he is unable to go, things will be just a little harder for the Lightning to get back into this series.
Point missed 10 games after sustaining a lower-body injury in Game 7 of the team’s first-round series against the Toronto Maple Leafs. In those seven games he registered 2 goals and 2 assists for 4 points.
This past regular season, he recorded 58 points in 66 games during the regular season. No player has scored more goals (30) over the past three NHL postseasons.
Andre Burakovsky a game-time decision
Game 1 OT hero Andre Burakovsky is also considered day-to-day for the Colorado Avalanche after being struck in the hand by a Victor Hedman shot on Saturday night.
He left the game early and didn’t travel with the team on Sunday to be evaluated but is now in Tampa.
“We’re hopeful we’ll see him at some point,” Avs coach Jared Bender said. “Not sure about Game 3 or Game 4.”
Burakovsky has notched 8 points in 12 playoff games. This past season, he set a career-high with 61 points in 80 games.
Nicolas Aube-Kubel is expected to take his place in the lineup.
Bednar also said that Nazem Kadri, who had surgery to repair his thumb, is considered day-to-day. The team remains hopeful he can get into Stanley Cup action.
Kadri, 31, has six goals and eight assists over Colorado’s first 13 games of the playoffs before injuring his hand on a boarding hit by the Oilers Evander Kane. In 71 games in the regular season, he tallied career-highs with 87 points and 59 assists along with 28 goals.