Hockey fans, rejoice! The NHL season slid back into our lives this week, and the Colorado Avalanche are ready proudly hoist their Stanley Cup banner at home before the puck drops in their first game of the season against the Chicago Blackhawks.
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To celebrate the NHL’s opening week, we’re looking at the top moments from the Av’s Stanley Cup-winning 2022 season.
Nazem Kadri’s Hat Trick
There are many words that could describe Nazem Kadri’s graceful, in-your-face performance during Game 4 of the Western Conference semi-final. After innocently colliding with an opposing St. Louis Blues player and falling into their goalie Jordan Binnington, Kadri faced a barrage of bigotry, racism and xenophobia from St. Louis fans. His family even received threats. Police had to get involved for his safety. Two nights later, Kadri played perhaps the game of his life, scoring three goals (including the game-winner) in front of thousands of St. Louis fans. Not to mention, Naz’s taunting of haters with a hand to his ear after every goal proved an enjoyable act of defiance.
Artturi Lehkonen’s OT Goal Sends Avs Yo Finals
It’s the win that sent the Avalanche to the Stanley Cup finals for the first time since 2001. And an important win like that is made that much sweeter by an exciting overtime goal. Lehkonen helped the Avs blast past the Edmonton Oilers 6-5 thanks to this OT goal in Game 4 of the Western Conference Final. At 1 minute 19 seconds into the extra period, Lehkonen grabbed a rebound and buried the puck in the net to secure the sweep for the Avalanche. The Colorado fans naturally lost their collective minds.
The Entire Game 6 Between Colorado & Tampa Bay
Colorado was leading the series 3-2 going into Game 6 against the two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning. Historically, that bode well for the Avs, as teams that’ve had a 3-1 lead in the best-of-seven Finals had won 35 of the past 36 cups. The Avs led the first two periods, even after the Lightning wasted no time getting the first goal on the board. Again, it was Artturi Lehkonen who scored the game-winning goal, dashing the Lightning’s hope of a historic three-peat. It was the perfect end to an eventful and memorable run for the cup.
Erik Johnson ‘Soaking Up The Moment’
This one speaks to every kid who ever laced up a pair of skates and dreamed of playing in the NHL. It’s a touching and heart-warming moment that will surely put a smile on the lips of any fan of the sport. He had played a long time for the Avs and been through many of the team’s ups and downs. He had even contemplated retiring the previous season. But here was Erik Johnson, long after the arena had cleared and everyone had gone home, still skating around the ice, smiling and trying to soak it all in and stretch out the moment. Hits you right in the feels, right?
Avalanche Wins Cup For First Time In 20 Years
Top moment? The win, of course. Last season’s win was the third time the franchise won the championship. But the Avs hadn’t hoisted the cup since 2001 when the team’s roster consisted of Hockey Hall of Famers like Patrick Roy, Ray Bourque and Joe Sakic. And this time, the Avs were completely dominant during the playoffs. They never trailed a series in their 20-game postseason run. They had 10 comeback wins to tie the NHL record. They also never lost two games in a row during their drive for the cup. And the historic victory was full of great moments that define hockey.
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