* The 2022 Stanley Cup Final shifts to Tampa as the Avalanche, who have tallied 11 goals through the first two games, will look to move within one win of the championship.

* To three-peat, the Lightning will have to become the first team in NHL history to overcome a 2-0 series deficit to win back-to-back best-of-seven matchups.

* The 2022 NHL Awards, hosted by Emmy Award-winning actor Kenan Thompson,will be broadcast live Tuesday (7 p.m. ET on ESPN, Sportsnet, TVAS) and will originate from Armature Works in Tampa. Five remaining awards will be presented: the Hart Trophy, Vezina Trophy, Norris Trophy, Calder Trophy and Ted Lindsay Award.

LIGHTNING LOOK TO RALLY IN SECOND STRAIGHT SERIES
The two-time defending champion Lightning will look to climb back into the 2022 Stanley Cup Final as the series shifts to AMALIE Arena for Game 3. Tampa Bay, which was held off the score sheet in Game 2 for the first time since their opening game of the postseason, is 8-4 all-time in the playoffs after being shut out in the previous contest and is currently riding a franchise-record seven-game home winning streak.

* The Lightning will aim to become the third team in the past decade, and second this playoffs, to record eight straight home wins in the postseason. They would join the 2022 Rangers (8 GP) and 2013 Kings (8 GP).

* Andrei Vasilevskiy, who gave up a postseason career-high seven goals Saturday, will look to bounce back on home ice where he boasts a 7-1 record in the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Vasilevskiy is 19-13-1 in his career after allowing five-plus goals in the previous game, including a 4-2 record in the postseason.

* After losing twice on the road to open the Eastern Conference Final, the Lightning reeled off four straight wins to reach the Stanley Cup Final. To claim another title, they now will have to become the first team in NHL history to overcome a 2-0 series deficit to win in consecutive rounds.

* Should Tampa Bay come back to win, they would become the sixth team in Stanley Cup Final history to rally from a 2-0 series deficit to win the series – and first since the 2011 Bruins.

AVALANCHE HEAD TO TAMPA WITH MOUNTAIN OF GOALS

After scoring 11 goals across two games in Denver, the Avalanche head to Tampa looking to become the second team in as many years to take a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final. A total of 15 players have found the score sheet for Colorado, including goal production from seven different skaters.

* The Avalanche sit two wins from a championship, with only two losses to date this postseason (14-2 in 16 GP). They tied the NHL benchmark for fastest to 14 wins in one playoff year, joining the 2012 Kings, 1988 Oilers, 1987 Oilers and 1981 Islanders who all started 14-2 en route to a Cup.

* Since 1987 when all rounds became best-of-seven, only one team has finished a postseason with fewer than four losses: the 1988 Oilers, who went 16-2 plus their no-decision in the suspended game during the Final (which was tied 3-3 when called), en route to their fourth championship in five years.

* Colorado has scored 76 goals in 16 games this postseason (4.75 G/GP), including 12 contests with four or more tallies. Their goals-per-game rate currently ranks fifth in Stanley Cup Playoffs history among clubs that played at least 16 games.
 

* The Avalanche will enter AMALIE Arena riding a seven-game win streak dating to Game 6 of the Second Round, a new franchise record for the longest in a postseason. They can become the sixth team in the past 20 years to win eight-plus consecutive games in a postseason – the 2008 Red Wings (9 GP), 2019 Bruins (8 GP), 2012 Kings (8 GP), 2011 Lightning (8 GP) and 2004 Lightning (8 GP) have done so in that span.

* Colorado’s 14-2 record during the 2022 Stanley Cup Playoffs includes a perfect 7-0 mark as visitors. The Avalanche can become the second team in NHL history with an eight-game road win streak in a postseason, joining the 2012 Kings (10 GP).

* Four of Colorado’s goals in the Final have come via special teams (3 PPG, 1 SHG). Overall, the club has scored on the man advantage in 11 of 16 games this postseason and tops all teams with a 32.7% power-play percentage. Since 1977-78, the first season that special teams percentages are available, only one club has ended a postseason with a higher success rate on the power play (min. 16 GP): the 1981 Islanders (37.8% in 18 GP).

2022 NHL AWARDS SET FOR TUESDAY
Five more NHL Awards will be handed out Tuesday in Tampa, between Game 3 and Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Final. The show will be broadcast live at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN, Sportsnet and TVAS, with host Kenan Thompson to be joined by a number of different presenters whose inspirational stories stirred the emotions of the NHL and beyond this season.
 

Hart Memorial Trophy

The three finalists are Auston Matthews, Connor McDavid and Igor Shesterkin. Matthews is seeking to become the first Toronto player to win in 67 years; McDavid is vying to become the ninth player in NHL history to take home the award at least three times; and Shesterkin is trying to become the third netminder on any team to win this century.

Vezina Trophy
The three finalists are Jacob Markstrom, Juuse Saros and Igor Shesterkin. Markstrom aims to become the second winner in Flames franchise history, following Miikka Kiprusoff (2005-06); Saros is seeking to join Pekka Rinne (2017-18) as the second netminder in Predators history to earn the Vezina; and Shesterkin is vying to become the third Rangers goaltender to win the Vezina under the current selection criteria (since 1981-82), joining Henrik Lundqvist (2011-12)and John Vanbiesbrouck (1985-86).

James Norris Memorial Trophy

The three finalists are Victor Hedman, Roman Josi and Cale Makar. Hedman and Josi are both in search of their second Norris Trophy; and Makar, who is the fourth defenseman to be voted a finalist for an NHL Award in each of his first three seasons and won the Calder Trophy in his rookie campaign of 2019-20, is vying to become the first Norris Trophy winner in Avalanche/Nordiques history.

 
Calder Memorial Trophy
The three finalists are Michael Bunting, Moritz Seider and Trevor Zegras. Bunting is seeking to become the 11th player in Maple Leafs history to capture the Calder Trophy and just the second to do so in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68), after Auston Matthews in 2016-17; Seider is vying to become the sixth player in Red Wings history to win the award and first since Roger Crozier in 1964-65; and Zegras is looking to become the first Ducks player to take home the award.

Ted Lindsay Award

The three finalists are Roman Josi, Auston Matthews and Connor McDavid. Josi is looking to follow Bobby Orr (1974-75) as only the second defenseman to receive the award; a finalist for the second season in a row, Matthews is seeking to become the first Maple Leafs player and second American-born player (Patrick Kane in 2015-16) to receive the award; and McDavid hopes to join Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky as the only players to receive the award four or more times.

QUICK CLICKS

* Avalanche chasing Stanley Cup greatness, but don’t write off Lightning

*Darren Helm relishes opportunity with Avalanche in 2022 Stanley Cup Final

* Artturi Lehkonen making father proud with his drive toward winning Stanley Cup

* BenKing, Ivan Zhigalov among 2022 NHL Draft prospects passed over in 2021

Attachments:

MorningSkate062022.pdf

* The Avalanche have a chance to come home from Tampa as Stanley Cup champions after Darcy Kuemper made 16 saves and the club nearly matched the largest margin of victory in a Stanley Cup Final shutout to take a 2-0 series lead.

* The Avalanche, who became the first team in 37 years with four seven-goal outings in a single postseason, captured a seventh straight victory to establish the longest win streak in a playoff year in franchise history.
 
* With his dad in attendance ahead of Father’s Day, Cale Makar scored a shorthanded goal and power-play goal to join rare company in NHL history to do so in the Stanley Cup Final.

AVALANCHE USE ANOTHER MAMMOTH FIRST PERIOD TO TAKE 2-0 SERIES LEAD
After grabbing a 3-1 lead in the first period of Game 1, the Avalanche filled the net three times in the opening frame of Game 2 and scored seven goals overall to take a 2-0 series lead against the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions.

* The Avalanche became the third team in NHL history to register a shutout in the Stanley Cup Final by a margin of seven or more goals, following the 1919 Seattle Metropolitans (7-0 W in Game 1 vs. MTL) and 1991 Penguins (8-0 W in Game 6 at MNS).

* Colorado scored at least seven goals in a game for the fourth time this postseason, a first by any team in 37 years and just the seventh time any club has done so. The Avalanche became the first team to score 11 or more goals through two games of a Final since… 1996, when they did it.


 

* The Avalanche became the third team in Stanley Cup Final history – and first in more than 40 years – to score at least three goals in the first period of both Game 1 and Game 2. The 1981 Islanders and 1936 Red Wings also did so en route to 4-1 and 3-1 series wins, respectively, but neither club extended the streak to three contests.

* An already-energized crowd raised the decibel level even higher after learning the Colorado Mammoth had claimed its first National Lacrosse League Cup since 2006, setting the stage for yet another sing-along to Blink-182’s ‘All the Small Things’ moments later.

MAKAR PUTS UP SPECIAL PERFORMANCE AHEAD OF FATHER’S DAY

With his dad in attendance ahead of Father’s Day, Cale Makar scored twice in the third period to become the second defenseman in NHL history to score both a shorthanded and power-play goal in a Stanley Cup Final game. The only other instance came in the May 24 suspended game during the 1988 Final when Bruins defenseman Glen Wesley – a rookie at the time – did so, with both goals coming in the second period just before the game was called due to a power failure at Boston Garden.

* Overall, it was the 11th time in NHL history that a defenseman scored via both special teams in any postseason game. The last such instance came against Colorado in 1996 when Paul Coffey did so for Detroit in Game 1 of the Western Conference Final.

* After being held to one assist in Game 1, Avalanche defensemen contributed 3-1—4 on Saturday with Josh Manson (1-0—1) and Devon Toews (0-1—1) also finding the score sheet. Colorado’s defensive core has combined for 17-44—61 in 16 games this postseason and established franchise benchmarks for most goals and points by defensemen in one playoff year.

* Colorado equaled the 2020 Stars (14-45—61, excluding SCQ) for the most combined points by defensemen in a four-round postseason over the past 27 years and matched the 2021 Lightning (17, excluding SCQ) for the most goals from the blueline in the past seven. Of note: The 2010 Blackhawks had 20-43—63 from players listed as defensemen, but Dustin Byfuglien played forward for much of the postseason and collected 11-5—16 overall and therefore the club is excluded in this comparison.
 

MacKINNON, RANTANEN TIE AND SET FRANCHISE BENCHMARKS ON HOME ICE

Nathan MacKinnon (0-1—1)and Mikko Rantanen (0-3—3) extended their home point streaks to nine and seven games, respectively, as the Avalanche improved to 7-2 at Ball Arena this postseason. MacKinnon tied Claude Lemieux (9 GP in 1997) for the longest home point streak in franchise playoff history.

* Rantanen became the seventh different player in franchise history to record three or more points in any Stanley Cup Final game, following Joe Sakic (2x), Adam Foote, Alex Tanguay, Peter Forsberg, Rene Corbet and Rob Blake. In the process, Rantanen boosted his assist count at Ball Arena this postseason to 13, surpassing Sakic (12 in 1997) for the most at home in one playoff year.

COLORADO TWO WINS AWAY FROM THIRD STANLEY CUP

Colorado holds a 2-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Final for the second time, following their sweep of Florida in 1996. This is the first time Tampa Bay has trailed 2-0 in the Final.

* Colorado became the first team in 46 years to take a 2-0 series lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final against the defending champions.

* Tampa Bay is the first team in the NHL’s expansion era (since 1967-68) and sixth in League history to face a 2-0 series deficit in both the Conference Finals/Semifinals and Stanley Cup Final. They will look to become the first to respond by winning the Cup, following losses by the 1965 Blackhawks, 1963 Red Wings, 1962 Blackhawks, 1959 Maple Leafs and 1945 Red Wings.

* Colorado became the 20th team in NHL history – and second in as many years after the Lightning in 2021 – to pull ahead 2-0 in at least three best-of-seven series within the same postseason. Fourteen of those clubs went on to win the Stanley Cup.

* Teams that hold a 2-0 series lead in a best-of-seven Stanley Cup Final go on to win the championship 90% of the time (47-5). The five teams to rally to claim the title were the 2011 Bruins (4-3 W vs. VAN), 2009 Penguins (4-3 W vs. DET), 1971 Canadiens (4-3 W vs. CHI), 1966 Canadiens (4-2 W vs. DET) and 1942 Maple Leafs (4-3 W vs. DET).

QUICK CLICKS

* #NHLStats: Live Updates for Saturday, June 18
* Tom Brady among Tampa Bay sports stars to wish Lightning luck in Game 2

* Super Bowl 50 MVP Von Miller roots on Avalanche in Stanley Cup Final
* Wright soaks in Stanley Cup Final experience ahead of 2022 NHL Draft
* Matthews, Tkachuk join Flames staff in ‘Weak Side Strong’ ALS challenge
* GRiZ performs at watch party ahead of Game 2
 

Attachments:

MorningSkate_061922.pdf