SCF Game 1 Preview: Avalanche vs. Lightning

GAME 1 SCF: COLORADO AVALANCHE (0-0) VS TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (0-0)
6:00 PM MT | BALL ARENA
WATCH:
ALTITUDE
| ESPN+
LISTEN:
92.5 AM
The 2022 Stanley Cup Final between the Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning begins on Wednesday night with Game 1 at 6 p.m. MT at Ball Arena.

The Avalanche returned to the Stanley Cup Final for the first time since 2001 as the organization looks to claim its third Stanley Cup. The Avs will have their work cut out for them as they take on the two-time defending champions in the Lightning, who are looking to cement their dynasty with a third-consecutive Stanley Cup victory.

RECAP OF REGULAR SEASON MEETINGS:

The Avalanche and Lightning met twice in the regular season, but Colorado picked up wins in each of them.
The Avs picked up a 4-3 shootout road win on Oct. 23, 2021 in the first meeting of the regular season and then edged Tampa Bay 3-2 on Feb. 10 on home ice.
Gabriel Landeskog
paced the Avalanche with two goals and three points (2G, 1A) in one game, while
Nathan MacKinnon
also recorded three points (1G, 2A) in both of the meetings.
For Tampa Bay, Brayden Point recorded a team-high three points (2G, 1A) in the two meetings, while Ondrej Palat (2A) and Steven Stamkos (1G, 1A) recorded two points each.

ROAD TO THE STANLEY CUP FINAL:

Colorado swept the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Final to advance to its first Stanley Cup appearance since 2001. The team did so with a thrilling overtime winner from Artturi Lehkonen in Game 4.
The Avalanche showcased their depth against the Oilers as 16-of-20 skaters recorded at least a point in the four-game series and had 10 of those 16 skaters produce multi-point outings.
AVALANCHE VS LIGHTNING
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GAME EXTRAS
Avalanche Stanley Cup Playoffs Hub
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Avalanche Ticket
Cale Makar
paced the team with nine points (2G, 7A), including a five-point (1G, 4A) effort in the Avalanche's successful closeout Game 4.
Mikko Rantanen
led the team in goals with four, while also tallying two assists.
Tampa Bay won its 11th-consecutive playoff series after defeating the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final to make its third-straight Final appearance.
Steven Stamkos, the captain of the Lightning, leads his team in goals with nine and has compiled 15 points (9G, 6A) through 17 games during this run. Nikita Kucherov has paced the lightning in scoring with 23 points (7G, 16A) through 17 games. So far during this run, Tampa Bay has benefitted from receiving contributions from the entirety of its lineup as all but one skater has recorded at least a point and all but five skaters have found the back of the net.
For a full comprehensive look at the 2022 Stanley Cup Final best-of-seven series
click here
.

STATS BREAKDOWN: (based off regular season):

Avalanche:
Goals: 6
Power Play (in regular season meetings): 11.1%
Penalty kill (in regular season meetings): 100.0%
FOW: 49.6%
Hits: 55
Blocks: 28
Shots: 74
Lightning:
Goals: 5
Power Play (in regular season meetings): 00.0%
Penalty kill (in regular season meetings): 88.9%
FOW: 50.4%
Hits: 61
Blocks: 34
Shots: 70

NOTEWORTHY:

The Avalanche reached their first Stanley Cup Final appearance since 2001… Cale Makar leads Colorado in scoring with 22 points (5G, 17A) through 14 games… Nathan MacKinnon has totaled a team-high 11 goals and 18 points through 14 games… Darren Helm (Detroit 2008) and Andre Burakovsky (Washington 2018) are the only two players on Colorado's roster who have won the Cup before… Artturi Lehkonen will play in his second-straight Stanley Cup Final. The Finnish forward was a member of the Montreal Canadiens last season… Pierre-Edouard Bellemare spent two seasons with the Avs from 2019-2021 and now is a member of Tampa Bay… Lightning defenseman Cal Foote is the son of former Avalanche defenseman and two-time Stanley Cup champion Adam Foote...