After a dominant showing by the Avalanche in Game 2, the Stanley Cup Final shifts to Tampa Bay, as the Lightning and Avalanche get set for Game 3 tonight.
Colorado holds a 2-0 lead in the series. After a 4-3 overtime win in Game 1, the Avs played a near perfect game on Saturday night, putting up a touchdown in the 7-0 win over the Lightning.
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Valeri Nichushkin and Cale Makar each had two goals, Mikko Rantanen registered three assists and Andre Burakovsky, Andrew Cogliano and Alex Newhook all had multi-point efforts. Burakovksy, Darren Helm and Josh Manson were the other three goal scorers as Darcy Kuemper stopped all 16 shots he faced in the victory.
Now the Lightning have their backs nearly up against the wall. It’s not unfamiliar territory, as Tampa Bay fell behind 0-2 to the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Final before rattling off four straight wins. However, it’s fair to say the Avalanche are a much superior team to the Rangers and winning four games out of five is no easy task.
“We’re not in a do-or-die situation right now,” Lightning forward Pat Maroon said before Game 3. “But let’s go out and find our best game now. They haven’t seen our best yet.”
While it’s not technically a “must-win”, a loss tonight puts them down 0-3 in the series. There has only been one time in NHL history that a team has come back from down three games in the finals to win the Cup and that was the 1942 Maple Leafs.
SCF PREVIEW, PREDICTION: Lightning vs. Avalanche
The Sporting News will provide live updates and highlights from Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final (all times Eastern).
Lightning vs. Avalanche score
| Game 3 | P1 | P2 | P3 | OT | F |
| Lightning | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Avalanche | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Lightning vs. Avalanche live updates, highlights from 2022 Stanley Cup Final
1st period
8:33 p.m.: No goal, puck just barely gets out of the zone before Byram can save it. A huge break for the Lightning who were inches away from being down 1-0 early yet again to the Avs.
8:28 p.m.: Avs strike first exactly five minutes into the game by guess who, Valeri Nichushkin. However the play is under review for offsides. That looks like the puck comes out of the zone before Bowen Byram can send it back in.
8:26 p.m.: Two sensational saves by Vasilevskiy off an offensive zone draw. The shot from Makar at the point is tipped and he makes the pad save, then denies J.T. Compher on the rebound.
8:24 p.m.: Great start for the Lightning. Ross Colton and Nick Paul each with a good look in the slot, but Kuemper comes up with the saves. No goals by the Avs in the first three minutes, so already an improvement from Game 2.
8:20 p.m.: Puck is down, Game 3 is a go. This is all close of a must-win as you can get for the Lightning.
Pregame
8:06 p.m.: Here’s how both sides line up for the opening draw.
Game 3 starters for the #GoAvsGo and #GoBolts in the #StanleyCup Final:
Landeskog – MacKinnon – Nichushkin
Toews – Makar
KuemperKillorn – Cirelli – Hagel
McDonagh – Cernak
Vasilevskiy https://t.co/0sFbVmcw0O— David Pagnotta (@TheFourthPeriod) June 21, 2022
7:40 p.m.: No Point on the ice for warmups. Looks like he’ll sit out Game 3 after playing in the first two games of the series. Riley Nash is on the ice and figures to be his replacement. Also as expected for the Avs, no Kadri or Burakovsky. Nicolas AUbe-Kubel slides back into the lineup.
Riley Nash taking warmup https://t.co/gQH4gMcij5
— Pierre LeBrun (@PierreVLeBrun) June 20, 2022
7:00 p.m.: Andre Burakovsky is not in Tampa Bay. Coach Jared Bednar considers him “day-to-day”, in addition to Nazem Kadri. Burakovsky left Game 2 after getting hit in the hand with a puck. For the Lightning, Brayden Point is a game-time decision. He played in the previous two games, but did participate in morning skate.
#Avs HC Jared Bednar says F Andre Burakovsky and C Nazem Kadri are day-to-day. Will see if Nicolas Aube-Kubel draws back into Game 3 vs #TBLightning Burakovsky has not arrived on the scene yet. Bednar didn’t rule him out but he’s not expected to play.
— Ken Wiebe (@WiebesWorld) June 20, 2022
Brayden Point is game time decision, Jon Cooper said.
— Joe Smith (@JoeSmithTB) June 20, 2022
How to watch the 2022 Stanley Cup Final
- Date: Monday, June 20
- TV channels: ABC (U.S.) | Sportsnet (Canada)
- Live streaming: fuboTV | ESPN+ (U.S.) | SN Now (Canada)
Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Final between the Avalanche and the Lightning will be broadcast on ABC in the United States and Sportsnet in Canada.
The game can be live streamed on ESPN+ or fuboTV in the United States, and SN Now in Canada.
Lightning vs. Avalanche start time Game 3
- Date: Monday, June 20
- Time: 8 p.m. ET
Tampa Bay and Colorado go head-to-head in Game 3 on Monday, June 20. Puck drop will be shortly after 8 p.m. ET at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla.
Stanley Cup Final schedule 2022
| Date | Game | Matchup/result | Time (ET)/Series | National TV |
| Wed., June 15 | Game 1 | Avalanche 4, Lightning 3 (OT) | Avalanche 1-0 | ABC |
| Sat., June 18 | Game 2 | Avalanche 7, Lightning 0 | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| Mon., June 20 | Game 3 | Avalanche at Lightning | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| Wed., June 22 | Game 4 | Avalanche at Lightning | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| Fri., June 24 | Game 5* | Lightning at Avalanche | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| Sun., June 26 | Game 6* | Avalanche at Lightning | 8 p.m. | ABC |
| Tue., June 28 | Game 7* | Lightning at Avalanche | 8 p.m. | ABC |
* If necessary.
George is Digismak’s reported cum editor with 13 years of experience in Journalism