The series is on.
After a blowout loss in game two of the Stanley Cup Final, the Tampa Bay Lightning answered the Colorado Avalanche with a big 6-2 win in game three on Monday night at Amalie Arena in Tampa.
The Avalanche now leads the series two games to one.
The Avs looked to take a 1-0 lead on Valeri Nichushkin's apparent goal in the first period. But after video replay, the goal was overturned and the play was ruled offrsides. The puck barely slid out past the blue line and out of the zone before Bowen Byram sent it back in to start the play on which Nichushkin scored.
Avalanche captain Gabriel Landeskog would score a power play goal to give Colorado a 1-0 advantage at 8:19 of the first period. The Lightning came back with a pair of goals to take a 2-1 lead at the first intermission.
After Nicholas Paul made it 3-1 Tampa Bay one minute, 26 seconds into the second period, Landeskog scored again on the power play and the Avs were down 3-2 at 4:43 of the second period.
Tampa Bay then broke the game open with three consecutive goals by Steven Stamkos, Pat Maroon and Corey Perry. Avs head coach Jared Bednar lifted starting goalie Darcy Kuemper after Maroon scored at 11:15 of the second period. At that point, the Avs were down 5-2.
The loss was the first on road for the Avs this postseason. They are now 7-1 away from Ball Arena and 13-3 overall in the playoffs. The Lightning is 8-1 at home in the playoffs.
The game marked the fifth time all season the Avs gave up as many as six goals in a game. Their worst loss was an 8-3 defeat at Toronto on December 1.
MORE ON THE AVS LOSS HERE
Game four will be at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday, June 22 at 6 p.m. MDT.