The Wraparound: Could Stanley Cup Final shift to Tampa Bay save Lightning?

The Wraparound is your look at the 2022 NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs. We’ll break down Game 3 of the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, including the all-important television information.

• Can the Lightning recover from a stunning 7-0 Game 2 blowout, or will the Avalanche push them to the brink of elimination?

• John Tortorella was officially hired as the next head coach of the Flyers on Friday. 

Heading into the 2022 Stanley Cup Final, it was no secret that the Avalanche possessed more team speed than the Lightning. Instead, the assumption was that the wily veterans would find ways to slow the young upstarts down.

That, uh, hasn’t happened so far.

Understandably, the Lightning basically treat their Game 2 debacle as a “burn the tape”-type experience. Throw a few “man up” comments out there. Deflect questions about leaving Andrei Vasilevskiy out there to absorb a seven-goal shellacking.

Starting with Game 3 Monday night (8 p.m. ET), a change of scenery will be just what the doctor ordered. To an extent maybe even literally.

Really, though, do the Lightning have a chance to get back in the 2022 Stanley Cup Final against the Avalanche? Let’s consider a few reasons why the series shifting to Tampa Bay could make a difference.

At times, home-ice advantage can be exaggerated in the NHL. Yet, the Lightning have already leveraged that edge during their push for a Stanley Cup three-peat. Look no further than how aggressively Jon Cooper chased matchups involving Anthony Cirelli. With the luxury of the last change, top forwards couldn’t escape a player who’s been making a Selke-level defensive impact.

It’s quite possible that, with a clean slate, the last change could matter.

Of course, there’s only so much Cirelli, Vasilevskiy, or any single