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The Avalanche recorded an eight-goal game, two seven-goal showings, and two six-goal performances during their romp to this year's final. The last time a playoff club topped the Avs' current scoring average (4.64 goals) was in 1988. Another is the Oilers team that Colorado just swept. The Avalanche are one of three teams this century to score four goals per game in the playoffs, discounting squads that lost in Round 1.

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Does this stylistic matchup mean a player like Victor Hedman, who's recorded the most playoff ice time among all NHLers during the Lightning's three-year run, will be gassed as the series progresses? Can Colorado's offense remain this potent? Icon Sportswire / Getty Images That can lead to two-minute shifts and, eventually, fatigue. Will all of that mileage catch up to the likes of star winger Nikita Kucherov?Д¬olorado also plays at the fastest pace in the league and often sustains pressure in the offensive zone for long stretches. The team has appeared in 65 playoff games in the past three postseasons, by far the most in the NHL. The Lightning looked out of sorts in the first two games against the Rangers - rusty, if you will - after an eight-day layoff.ДЇrom a big-picture perspective, Lightning players should have more wear and tear on their bodies. However, as we saw at the start of Round 3 with Tampa Bay, rest isn't always better. Colorado, therefore, is theoretically the rested team. The Lightning had three days off between rounds, the Avs eight. There are a few ways to tackle the topic here.

The rust-versus-rest debate is an unavoidable storyline in the playoffs. Is there enough gas in Tampa Bay's tank? Andy Lyons / Getty Images Tampa Bay will three-peat if Vasilevskiy makes this a mismatch. If Kuemper plays, Colorado's title hopes hinge on him rediscovering that form. Kuemper ranked sixth in the NHL with 15.77 goals saved above expected, per Evolving Hockey (Vasilevskiy was fourth at 17.6). 921 save percentage in 57 regular-season appearances in 2021-22. 897 mark.ДЄvalanche coach Jared Bednar hasn't revealed his Game 1 starter, but Kuemper's track record suggests he's the smart choice. Francouz is undefeated in six playoff games, and his. High-sticked in the eye during the Nashville Predators series, Kuemper missed time against the Edmonton Oilers with an upper-body injury but returned to back up Pavel Francouz in the Round 3 finale. Darcy Kuemper has endured a rough spring.

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