2022 NHL Stanley Cup Final Preview- Can Lightning make it three in a row?

The 2022 NHL Stanley Cup final will be contested between the Colorado Avalanche and the Tampa Bay Lightning.

The best of seven series final will commence on Wednesday 8 pm USA time, early hours of the morning UK time, with the opening game taking place in Colorado.

The favourites will just be the Avalanche who have swept aside teams leading into the final. They opened the post season by dispatching the Nashville Predators in four games. They then took six games to defeat the St. Louis Blues before brushing aside the Edmonton Oilers 4-0 in the Western Conference final.

The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking for their third consecutive Stanley Cup. They have had a tougher road to the final than the Avs, after getting the better of the Toronto Maple Leafs in seven games, before a clean sweep of the Florida Panthers.

In the Eastern Conference final against the New York Rangers, again they had to come from behind after going down 2-0 before winning the next four games to book another Stanley Cup final place.

Should the Lightning go on and lift the Stanley Cup for a third win in a row, they would become the first side to achieve this feat since New York Islanders in 1980-83.

The 2022 Stanley Cup final will also see Lightning forward Pat Maroon attempt to win his fourth consecutive title. Before becoming part of the Lightning set up he had success in 2019 with the St. Louis Blues.

As both teams prepare for the opening game in midweek, there are injury concerns for both sides.

Colorado’s Nazem Kadri (thumb) and Andrew Cogliano (hand) will be able to play in the final at some point after having surgery.

For the Lightning, Brayden Point hasn’t played since game seven of their first round series against Toronto, due to a lower body injury.

2022 NHL playoff schedule: Stanley Cup Final

COLORADO AVALANCHE v. TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Game 1 – June 15: Lightning at Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 2 – June 18: Lightning at Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 3 – June 20: Avalanche at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVA Sports)
Game 4 – June 22: Avalanche at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVA Sports)
*Game 5 – June 24: Lightning at Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVA Sports)
*Game 6 – June 26: Avalanche at Lightning, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVA Sports)
*Game 7 – June 28: Lightning at Avalanche, 8 p.m. ET (ABC, ESPN+, SN, CBC, TVA Sports)

Follow us on Twitter @ProstInt