Tampa. The Colorado Avalanche is ready for the Stanley Cup Final.
The full swing of the Edmonton ‘sweep’ was signed in the afternoon – after the sudden death of Arturi Leconn.
– Fabulous. But we are not happy with this, says the champion after the 6-5 victory.
Gabriel LandskogNathan McKinnon and the other hockey champions in the shadow of the Rockies have waited a long time and gone a lot of the way here, but now they’re finally going to play the Stanley Cup Final.
It became clear when Finn Arturi Likonen, 26, hit one minute and nineteen seconds of overtime in the fourth duel against Edmonton, first in Cal Makar’s shot at Mike Smith, then managed to return, directed the Oilers goal and hit the net. Decisive 6-5.
– I had an open goal, it was just to pull the disc, says the trembling hero at the meeting to the TNT TV channel.
Of course it feels great. But we are not finished yet.
By the way, last night was the toughest I’ve ever had in the series against Edmonton. Admittedly, the guests from Denver led 1-0 in the first period, after a goal from back giants Cal Makar — but in the second, the desperate home team turned around and took a 3-1 lead. Then a third run ensued when it swung worse than it did in F1. At one point the Oilers took a 4-2 lead, the next it was 5-4 against Avs – after top defender Gabriel Landskog, Nathan McKinnon and Mikko scored Rantanen their goals in a row – 16.38 and Zac Cassian tied the score 5-5.
Och så klev då Lehkonen in på Scenen i förlängningen …
– There is a lot of flexibility in this team. We never give up. That’s why it’s fun to play here, says McKinnon, the true captain of the club who is now back in the hockey final for the first time since 2001.
Gabriel Landskog, as the team captain, had to go to NHL Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly and get the Clarence S. Campbell Trophy – the Western Conference Champion Award – and then it turns out that the 29-year-old from Stockholm is not superstitious. He, unlike most other leaders over the years, happily took in a small dent.
In the final, Colorado will face either the New York Rangers or the Tampa Bay Lightning and will start anyway at the Ball Arena – but exactly when is yet to be determined.