Lightning vs. Avalanche final score, results: Nazem Kadri's OT heroics bring Colorado within one win of Stanley Cup

Author Photo

Nazem Kadri returned to the Avalanche lineup in style, potting the overtime winner in Game 4 to lift the Avs to the 3-2 win and a 3-1 series lead over the Lightning. 

The Avalanche center raced in and beat Lightning goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy on the blocker side, not initially knowing the puck went in until he and his teammates realized it was lodged behind the back bar. 

MORE: Watch the NHL playoffs on fuboTV (get access now)

The victory, which was Colorado's fifth of the playoffs in overtime, now puts the Avs in the driver's seat, as they are just one win away from lifting the Stanley Cup for the first time since 2001. 

The Lightning are now tasked with winning three straight games against the Avs, with two of those contests being in Denver. They face their first elimination game on Friday with Game 5. 

SCF PREVIEW, PREDICTION: Lightning vs. Avalanche 

The Sporting News provided live updates and highlights from Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final (all times Eastern).

Lightning vs. Avalanche score

Game 4 P1 P2 P3 OT F
Lightning 1 1 0 0 2
Avalanche 0 1 1 1 3

Lightning vs. Avalanche live updates, highlights from 2022 Stanley Cup Final

Overtime:

11:26 p.m.: GOAL! It looks like it's Nazem Kadri with the OT winner. He cut in and it didn't look like it went in at first, but it was ruled it hit the back bar and went out. The Avs go up 3-1 in the series with a home game in Denver on Friday. 

11:18 p.m.: Two great chances for the Avs. First, Nichushkin cuts to the slot, holds and eventually finds Byram on the other side, but he hits the cross bar. Then Vasilevskiy makes a stop on a shot by Josh Manson. We're nearing the halfway point of the first OT. 

11:12 p.m.: Huge stop by Vasilevskiy on a Logan O'Connor breakaway. O'Connor was cheating up ice and an aerial clear attempt sent him in past the Lightning blue liners. 

11:06 p.m.: Overtime is a go. Next goal wins. 

End 3rd period: Lightning 2, Avalanche 2

10:49 p.m.: Sixty minutes isn't enough as we're headed to OT. A great chance late off a rebound for Nick Paul, but the puck was too far away for his to get a quick shot and Kuemper is able to come out of his crease and make the save. Tampa Bay remains without a goal in the third period during this series. It's the second time the Avs and Lightning are going to extra time, Colorado earned the OT win in Game 1. 

10:32 p.m.: Goal update, the second Avs goal was changed to Cogliano. Sturm is still looking for his first as an Av, but that's Cogliano's third of the playoffs. 

10:31 p.m.: Both teams are locking it down on defense, not allowing a ton of shots. Tampa juts had two chances, both off the rush, First it was Corey Perry was a slap shot that Kuemper fought off, then a shot by Ryan McDonagh that he swallowed up. Still 2-2 with 8:24 left in the third. 

10:14 p.m.: GOAL! The Avs tie it up less than three minutes in. Andrew Cogliano's initial tipped shot was blocked but his second attempt hits off Nico Sturm and goes in, his first of the playoffs and first as an Av. That's the first 5 on 5 goal the Lightning have allowed at home since the first round. A bit of a fluky goal, but Colorado will take it. 

10:11 p.m.: Both Cirelli and Cernak return for Tampa, Cernak had blocked a shot and went down the tunnel a couple of times during the back end of the second. 

End 2nd period: Lightning 2, Avalanche 1

9:52 p.m.: End of the 2nd, and the Lightning remain ahead with a score of 2-1. A much more even period and one that I would say the Avs controlled more play of, but a weak goal by Kuemper keeps Tampa Bay ahead. 

9:51 p.m.: Cirelli throws his glove off and heads right down the tunnel. It looks like he got cut by a skate. 

9:45 p.m.: Hedman stopped twice by Kuemper on an initial attempt, and then a wrap-around. He's been the best player on the ice so far, taking matters offensively into his own hands. 

9:39 p.m.: Colorado couldn't capitalize, but their PP is buzzing. A couple of blocked shots and a strong save by Vasilevskiy towards the end keeps it a 2-1 lead for the Lightning. 

9:35 p.m.: Avs are going back on the power play as Stamkos is called for hooking, getting right in on the hands of Landeskog cutting into the slot. Colorado can tie it up here with their red-hot power play. 

9:31 p.m.: GOAL!  The Lightning retake the lead as Hedman comes flying in, dekes around the Avs defenders and puts a backhand by Kuemper's blocker. Not a great goal by the Avs goaltender. Hedman has jumped up in the play twice with the puck, first resulting in the Byram penalty and now a goal, 2-1 Lightning with under 9:30 left in the second period. 

9:23 p.m.: Right after the Landeskog goal, the Avs take a penalty as Bowen Byram hooks Victor Hedman. It looks like he lifted his stick cleanly on the first attempt, but got it in Hedman's hands on the second. 

9:21 p.m.: GOAL! The power play for Colorado strikes again as it's MacKinnon who gets the goal. The pass goes off his skate and into the net, finally getting his first goal of the Stanley Cup Final. Tampa Bay needs to stay out of the box against this Colorado PP unit. The goal makes it's 1-1 with 14:40 left in the second. 

9:18 p.m.: Two big saves by Vasilesvkiy early in the second, one on a MacKinnon one-timer and another on Lehkonen slipping behind the defense. Now the Avs will get their first power play of the night as Hedman is called for interference. Colorado had two power play goals on Monday and have clicking at 33.9% during these playoffs.

End 1st period: Lightning 1, Avalanche 0

8:55 p.m.: After 20 minutes, it's 1-0 Lightning. A strong, fast start by Tampa Bay paid off with the Cirelli goal, but both teams settled down after the first couple of minutes. Tampa peppered Kuemper with 17 shots, while the Avs only had four. But the play was a lot more even than the shots on goals say, as the Lightning blocked 13 of the Avs' shot attempts. 

8:54 p.m.: An ugly power play from the Lighting. They had three or four turnovers either in the neutral zone or just inside the blue line. Avs successfully kill it off. 

8:51 p.m.: A great shift by the Lightning's fourth line as they constantly cycle the puck and force turnovers by the Avs' defense. It leads to a great chance for Riley Nash coming out from behind the net, but it's stopped. Darren Helm is then called for interference and the Lightning go to the power play. 

8:43 p.m.: Despite some extended time in Tampa's zone, the Avs aren't getting a lot of shots on net. We have less than six minutes left and they just got their second shot on goal of the period. 

8:38 p.m.: After a fast start, things have slowed down on both sides. Nick Paul just had a great chance, stripping the puck away from an Avs defender in their zone and getting in alone on Kuemper, but didn't have enough time and space to get a good shot and Kuemper makes the stop. The score is still 1-0 with less than eight minutes left. 

8:24 p.m.: Here's the ruling on why the play wasn't blown dead when Kuemper mask came off. 

8:20 p.m.: GOAL! That didn't take long. Just 36 seconds in and the Lightning are on the board. A scramble in front has multiple stops by Darcy Kuemper before the puck kicks out and goes to the point. Erik Cernak rips a shot that appeared to break Kuemper's mask and Anthony Cirelli cleaned up the rebound. A perfect start for Tampa Bay. 

Pregame

7:43 p.m.: Kadri taking part in warmups for the Avs, so he's good to go. He takes his spot back on the second line, skating in the middle of Gabriel Landeskog and Valeri Nichushkin. Artturi Lehkonen and Mikko Rantanen skating up with Nathan MacKinnon on the top Colorado line. Kucherov and Paul both also on the ice for Tampa, but no Point as expected. 

7:00 p.m.: Some reassurances from Game 3 for the Lightning. Despite both Nick Paul and Nikita Kucherov getting injured during the contest on Monday, they are in the lineup for Game 4. Brayden Point remains out for Tampa Bay, but he's not out for the series. On the Avs' side, Nazem Kadri could be suiting up for the game, coach Jared Bednar did not say if he would or would not, but he skated with the normal group in the morning. 

How to watch the 2022 Stanley Cup Final

  • Date: Wednesday, June 22
  • TV channels: ABC (U.S.) | Sportsnet (Canada)
  • Live streaming: fuboTV | ESPN+ (U.S.) | SN Now (Canada)

Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Avalanche and the Lightning will be broadcast on ABC in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada.

The game can be live streamed on ESPN+ or fuboTV in the United States, and SN Now in Canada.

Lightning vs. Avalanche start time Game 4

  • Date: Wednesday, June 22
  • Time: 8 p.m. ET 

Tampa Bay and Colorado go head-to-head in Game 4 on Wednesday, June 22. Puck drop will be shortly after 8 p.m. ET at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.

Stanley Cup Final schedule 2022

Date Game Matchup/result Time (ET)/Series National TV
Wed., June 15 Game 1 Avalanche 4, Lightning 3 (OT) Avalanche 1-0 ABC
Sat., June 18 Game 2 Avalanche 7, Lightning 0 Avalanche 2-0 ABC
Mon., June 20 Game 3 Lightning 6, Avalanche 2 Avalanche 2-1 ABC
Wed., June 22 Game 4 Avalanche at Lightning 8 p.m. ABC
Fri., June 24 Game 5* Lightning at Avalanche 8 p.m. ABC
Sun., June 26 Game 6* Avalanche at Lightning 8 p.m. ABC
Tue., June 28 Game 7* Lightning at Avalanche 8 p.m. ABC

* If necessary.

Author(s)
Bryan Murphy Photo

Bryan Murphy is an NHL content producer at The Sporting News.