2022 NHL Playoffs: Stanley Cup Final predictions

This is it. The final playoff series of the 2021-22 NHL season and it’s quite a doozy. In one corner it’s the two-time defending Stanley Cup champion Tampa Bay Lightning looking for a three-peat (or, if you’re Pat Maroon, a four-peat) going up against the Colorado Avalanche, who finished with the second-most regular-season points and reached the fourth round losing only twice and earning two series sweeps.

It’s been a memorable postseason so far and this series will only add to the excitement and star power we’ve been treated to since the First Round. So how will this one go? Will the Avalanche finally reach the top or will it be the Lightning making history?

On to the the Pro Hockey Talk Stanley Cup Final predictions!

James O’Brien, NHL writer: Sticking with my preseason prediction: Avalanche in six games, but I can no longer force Nathan MacKinnon over Cale Makar. MacKinnon’s been a star; Makar’s been a celestial body. While I think the Lightning can slow some of the Avalanche’s all-world pace down, Colorado’s skating and breakout passing gives any team problems. Eventually. This isn’t just a clash of stars, it’s also a clash of styles, making this a treat both for nerds who become immersed in systems and casual fans who want to see highlight reel goals (and saves).

Sean Leahy, NHL writer: Lightning in 6. The way Tampa Bay took care of the Panthers in the Second Round really turned me around on their three-peat chances. But now they have their toughest test in the Avalanche, a team just as deep, and just as threatening as they. But getting Brayden Point back at some point will be massive, as will the continued hot play of Andrei Vasilevskiy. And that, to me, will be the difference here. Darcy Kuemper cannot match what