SCF: CEN(1) Colorado Avalanche vs. ATL(3) Tampa Bay Lightning | COL WINS CUP 4-2

[Mathgod]

The games will go Tampa, Colorado, Tampa, Colorado, Colorado, Tampa, Colorado. Avs in 7.

Avs are a much better team than the previous 2 finals opponents the Dolts have faced. Neither the Stars nor Habs were the calibre of team that the Avs are.

[Mr.Coffee]

Why are they not playing until Wednesday? It’s June 12th. Does anyone care anymore?

[butterfly]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Why are they not playing until Wednesday? It’s June 12th. Does anyone care anymore?

Cliff Fletcher Rule

[NOISIA]

Tampa in 6.

[Locke]

I think Tampa takes this.

In terms of high-end offensive skill, top-level defence, etc. its a saw off.

The difference is in goal and even at their best the Avs wouldnt be level with Tampa, but a young Makar vs. an older Hedman might have been a difference but at the end of the day at the moment Tampa has a huge edge in net.

[Mathgod]

Interesting that most people in this thread are predicting Tampa, though most sportsbooks have the Avs as a sizeable favorite.

[GioforPM]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Interesting that most people in this thread are predicting Tampa, though most sportsbooks have the Avs as a sizeable favorite.

Combination of the goalie factor and seeing TB win twice against all kinds of opponents.

[Macman]

I have to go with Tampa as well, they’re too good of a team and can play any type of game. They have good players and are well coached and the way they play I don’t see how the Avs will be able to beat them even though they’re a good team and have good players too.

Could possibly be Pat Maroon’s fourth straight cup win. Corey Perry was on the losing teams the last two cup finals that Tampa won, Dallas and Montreal. Could be a bad omen for TB but I don’t think so.

[codynw]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Interesting that most people in this thread are predicting Tampa, though most sportsbooks have the Avs as a sizeable favorite.

I've had $100 in my bodog account that I couldn't withdraw because it was my signup bonus so I put it on a very specific series outcome, at +10000 odds. Hope I get lucky haha.


Game 1 - Colorado
Game 2 - Tampa Bay
Game 3 - Tampa Bay
Game 4 - Colorado
Game 5 - Tampa Bay
Game 6 - Colorado
Game 7 - Tampa Bay


Seems plausible. With free money I'll take those odds.

[icarus]

This is the Cup final I predicted, as I think these are probably the two best teams in the league. I think Avs take it in 7. If at full health I think they take it quicker than that but their injuries will only just prolong their victory, not put it in doubt.

[Mathgod]

Part of me thinks the Leafs choked like they always do, the Panthers cracked under pressure, and the Rangers ran out of gas. The Avs could conceivably make this a short series.

[The Cobra]

Originally Posted by codynw

I've had $100 in my bodog account that I couldn't withdraw because it was my signup bonus so I put it on a very specific series outcome, at +10000 odds. Hope I get lucky haha.


Game 1 - Colorado
Game 2 - Tampa Bay
Game 3 - Tampa Bay
Game 4 - Colorado
Game 5 - Tampa Bay
Game 6 - Colorado
Game 7 - Tampa Bay


Seems plausible. With free money I'll take those odds.

Assuming each game is 50/50, you'd have .0078125% chance of winning, or about 3/4's of 1%.

You are getting paid like it a 1% chance of occurring, so it's not a bad bet.

[Jordan!]

Tampa will unfortunately win their 3rd in a row..

Goaltending won't get it done for The Avs imo

[calgarygeologist]

Originally Posted by Mr.Coffee

Why are they not playing until Wednesday? It’s June 12th. Does anyone care anymore?

At this point I don't think it really matters if they take an extra few nights off before the finals start. The season has gone on too long already and my interest has definitely waned so whether they wrap things up on June 24 or July 1 or later is pretty inconsequential.

[activeStick]

Well, tonight is NBA Finals Game 5, so they aren't going to compete against them. I'm guessing maybe there's some other conflicts which prevented them from starting on Tuesday? So they went with Wednesday.

[CalgaryFan1988]

I could see arguments on both sides as to why a team should win, I just hope the Avs do.

[getbak]

Originally Posted by activeStick

Well, tonight is NBA Finals Game 5, so they aren't going to compete against them. I'm guessing maybe there's some other conflicts which prevented them from starting on Tuesday? So they went with Wednesday.

The NBA Final's game 5 is tonight, game 6 is Thursday, and game 7 will be Sunday, if it's needed.

So, that leaves Tuesday or Wednesday for Game One of the Stanley Cup Final and Friday or Saturday for Game Two.

Game 2 on Saturday was likely the broadcast preference and Tuesday to Saturday is a pretty long gap between the first two games (especially when the schedule goes to every other night after Game 2). So, that likely drove the decision to have the series start on Wednesday.

[Hemi-Cuda]

Originally Posted by Roast Beef

It's strange, I've been cheering against Tampa all playoffs so far, and I've been loath to see them win yet again, but now that they've made the finals after coming back from 0-2 against the Rangers, I'm kinda hoping they pull it off. It's been almost 40 years since we've seen a team win more than 2 in a row, and it's been that same length of time since there's been a team in an actual position to do so. The Oilers were the last team to make the finals more than 2 years in a row, but they lost their first go around, so even the mighty Oilers of the 80s were never in a position to do it.



Whoever wins this year, I'm just hoping for a series that goes to game 7 overtime. We haven't had a Stanley Cup final go to game 7 OT since 1954, so why not have the first finals after lockdowns and bubbles be one for the ages?

I always bet against what I want to happen when the playoffs started, so if the worst happens I at least get something out of it. I threw $50 at Tampa winning the cup again, but now that it's the finals I find myself actually cheering for them beyond the cash. I've never seen a 3-peat in the NHL, plus it's not like the Avs are some plucky underdog I could cheer for, their fans got to watch one of the most talented teams in the league in the 90's and saw them win 2 cups, now they're absolutely stacked with talent again and will probably repeat that dominance in this decade. I'm fine with them not taking it this year

[Philly06Cup]

Originally Posted by Mathgod

Interesting that most people in this thread are predicting Tampa, though most sportsbooks have the Avs as a sizeable favorite.

Most casual fans don't actually watch or follow that much hockey. They know that Tampa has won the last two cups and are infatuated with the "tHeY hAVe XpErIeNcE & RiNgZzZzZ" narrative.

Tampa has looked average across all three series so far. Colorado has dominated all three of their series.

Colorado's top six is significantly better than Tampa's. That should be the difference. Tampa wins if Vasi can steal them the series.

[midniteowl]

Avs in 5