NHL Stanley Cup Final 2022: Odds, Hot Takes, Top Storylines for Game 2

Many hockey fans were excited for this year's Stanley Cup Final matchup. It was expected to be a battle between two great teams: the Colorado Avalanche, who were the top seed in the Western Conference, and the Tampa Bay Lightning, the two-time defending champions.

Game 1 lived up to that hype.

The Avalanche won the opener of the series by outlasting the Lightning for a 4-3 overtime victory. Colorado scored three times in the first period, but it was held scoreless for the final 42 minutes and 29 seconds of regulation. It didn't matter, though, as Andre Burakovsky lifted the Avs to victory by scoring 1:23 into OT.

Now, the two teams will return to the ice for Game 2 on Saturday night in Denver. Either the Avalanche will take a 2-0 lead or the Lightning will even the series at 1-1 before it shifts to Tampa for Games 3 and 4.

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Saturday Schedule, Odds

Game 2: Tampa Bay Lightning (+130; bet $100 to win $130) at Colorado Avalanche (-150; bet $150 to win $100), 8 p.m. ET, ABC

Odds via DraftKings Sportsbook

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Neither Team Will Have a Two-Game Lead During the Stanley Cup Final

This will continue to be a competitive series. It's likely to go six or seven games, and the each meeting should be tightly contested, just like the opener. The Avalanche and the Lightning will keep trading blows.

And neither team is going to have more than a one-game advantage during this best-of-seven set. Both Colorado and Tampa Bay are too talented to let the Stanley Cup Final become one-sided.

That means the Lightning are going to bounce back and find a way to win Game 2 in a hostile environment. A big reason for that will be the play of goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy.

It's not too often that Vasilevskiy gives up three goals in a period. So it was a bit of a surprise when the Avalanche jumped out to a 3-1 lead before the end of the first period in Wednesday's Game 1.

Still, Vasilevskiy didn't allow Colorado to score over the final two periods of regulation. And that allowed Tampa Bay to force overtime with a pair of second-period goals.

"He's an all-world goaltender. He stood tall and gave us a chance to win it," Lightning captain Steven Stamkos said, per ESPN's Greg Wyshynski.

It doesn't seem likely that Vasilevskiy will allow four goals again in Game 2 (or possibly again the rest of the series). He had been on a roll entering the Stanley Cup Final, having allowed only five total goals over the final four games of the Eastern Conference Final against the Rangers (all of which were won by the Lightning).

But don't expect Game 2 to be a Tampa Bay blowout by any means. Colorado also has a solid defense, and goaltender Darcy Kuemper should be capable of matching Vasilevskiy in a low-scoring affair.

The prediction here is that the Lightning will make an early goal or two stand up, as they'll rely on Vasilevskiy to keep the Avalanche's offense quiet. It won't be a shutout, but Tampa Bay will win by a goal or two.

Then, the series will head to Tampa tied at 1-1. The Avalanche might prove capable of winning in enemy territory as well, but things won't be decided any time soon.

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