Stanley Cup Betting: Lightning Underdogs To 3-Peat

• The Avalanche have not played in nine days, and when they had eight days rest, the struggled against the Blues in the first round, loosing a home game as the favorite of -200.
• The Lightning will be the underdog for game won and the series, but have won 12 of their last 20 road games as the underdog in the playoffs.
• Colorado’s starting goalie has not been announced but both of them have a 2022 playoff average save percentage of .901, and Vasilevskiy’s is .928.

TAMPA – The Lightning have further progressed their three-peat hopes, with the Stanley Cup Finals kicking off Wednesday verses the season long title favorite, Colorado Avalanche.

Looking back since 2009, the Lightning and Avs have split their games played, each winning 10 apiece. With the Avs having home ice and being the favorite for game one, the Lightning will be in a familiar position.

Odds To Win Game 1

• Tampa Bay +135
• Colorado -160

The Advantage Of Tampa’s Experience

The Lightning now have the third longest streak for playoff series won in a row, with 11 straight series victories. Since 2015 in the playoffs, Tampa Bay is 12-8 when playing on the road, as the underdog.

To make their streak even better, the Lightning have won 13 out of their last 16 away games in the postseason.

The Lightning won the 2020 title with +675 preseason odds in 2020, +900 preseason odds in 2021, and were given +700 odds to win this year. When the Avs won the title back in 2001, they had +450 preseason odds and had +600 preseason odds to win the title this year.

A Little Rest Never Hurt Anyone?

The Lightning pulled off a sweep in the second round of these 2022 playoffs against the Panthers, and before that series began, Tampa Bay was +130 underdogs. Being dominant in the postseason, the Avs pulled off a sweep against the Nashville Predators in the first round, and another one against the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals.

To put this greatness into perspective, there were only three total sweeps in the 2021 playoffs, and zero sweeps in 2020.

However, the Lightning and the Avs both struggled initially after coming off of their rest period, which was a result of the sweeps.

When Tampa Bay swept the Panthers, they found themselves having nine days of rest, and then lost the first two games to the New York Rangers, including a four-goal loss in the first game.

Taking a look at the Avalanche, the most they struggled in the playoffs was off of the sweep when they had eight days rest before facing the Saint Louis Blues in the second round, dropping two games in overtime, and giving up 18 total goals during the series.

In this second round series, the Avs barley took game one in overtime, but their win resulted in the Avs having -240 odds to win game two as home as well against the Blues. This was not the outcome, with the Blues winning in Denver, by four goals.

Entering the Stanley Cup Finals, Tampa Bay will be coming off three days of rest, while the Avs will not have played in nine days.

Odds To Win Stanley Cup

• Tampa Bay +145
• Colorado -170

Battle Of The Goalies – All About The Big Cat

The Avs have trust in their two goalies, and it has not been decided which player will get the start in game one of the Stanley Cup Finals. Darcy Kuemper, their starting goalie, has seen multiple injuries this postseason, and has not played since game one against the Oilers, on May 31.

2022 Playoff Goalie Statistics

Player	Games Played	GAA	Save Percentage
Darcy Kuemper	10	2.65	.897
Pavel Fracouz	6	2.86	.906
Andrei Vasilevskiy	17	2.27	.928

No matter who gets the start in game one for the Avs, Vasy has been the more dominant goalie, and Avs Center Nathan MacKinnon will be facing one of the best goalies in the whole league, 2019 Vezina Trophy winner, who also led the league in wins from 2017 through 2022.

Vasy also won the Conn Smythe Trophy last year, and legal sportsbooks give them +350 odds to win it this year as well, behind Nathan MacKinnon at +240, and teammate Cale Makar at +180.

News tags: Andrei Vasilevskiy | NHL | NHL Playoffs | Stanley Cup | Tampa Bay Lightning