The last remaining teams competing have won a combined 5 Stanley Cups. Both compete for number six, third for the Avalanche and fourth for the Lightning as well as their third straight.
The Lightning have been the top NHL team over the past several seasons without question, however; the Colorado Avalanche have been looked upon as the anti-Lightning team over that same period. The problem of course was Colorado’s early exits from the playoffs the past couple of years.
Colorado has arguably been one of the best overall teams with tons of depth, while Tampa has leaned heavily on solid defensive play and outstanding goaltending. Both make for one of the best matchups in Stanley Cup history.
Colorado’s struggle to make it to ‘the can,’ has been frustrating for the organization and their fans, so when Colorado completed two sweeps (their first and last series) it was clear they were locked in and ready to bring the Stanley Cup home once again.
Colorado has been off since game four against the Edmonton Oilers on June 6th, which was their 14th game of the post-season while the Lightning just finished up their series with the New York Rangers in game six over the weekend, their 17th game of the post-season, proof that Avalanches move quicker than Lightning.
The two teams met up in the regular season twice with Colorado winning both games by one goal, a clear indication that these two will offer one of the best hockey matchups in NHL history.
The Colorado Avalanche is -160 favorites with the over-under for total goals scored at six. Game one is scheduled for Wednesday, June 15th at 6 p.m. MST.
In other sports, the Colorado Rockies split a four-game series with the San Diego Padres over the weekend after losing one game to two against the San Francisco Giants last week in the Bay area.
This week the Rockies are home to host the Cleveland Guardians in a three-game series.
The Denver Broncos are now under new ownership after Walmart heir Rob Walton won the bidding war with his $4.65 billion bid. Walton’s bid is now the largest purchase of a North American professional sports franchise. The sale of course is still contingent of agreement by the league’s current owners that should be completed before the end of the summer.
The Denver Nuggets are trading JaMychal Green to the Oklahoma City Thunder in exchange for a first-round pick in next week’s draft. The trade includes a first-round pick that Denver will send to Oklahoma in 2027, while the Thunder gives up two second-round picks in the 2023 and 2024 drafts.
