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It won’t be long until the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals start, but the date for Game 1 hasn’t been officially announced. The Colorado Avalanche are waiting to see if they will face the New York Rangers or the Tampa Bay Lightning in the finals series of the NHL’s postseason.
When is the 2022 Stanley Cup Finals? The series will begin shortly after the conclusion of the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Lightning have a 3-2 series lead over the Rangers. Tampa Bay hosts New York Saturday in Game 6 with a chance to clinch a spot in the Stanley Cup Finals. If the Rangers win Game 6, Game 7 on Tuesday at Madison Square Garden will decide the series.
There will be at least one off-day in between the end of the East Finals and the start of the Stanley Cup Finals. If the Lightning win Saturday, the Stanley Cup Finals could start as early as Monday, June 13 in Colorado. In the event that the Rangers extend the series, the Stanley Cup Finals probably won’t start until Thursday, June 16, at the earliest.
The 2021 Stanley Cup Finals started three days after both conference finals were finished. This year’s Finals won’t conclude any later than June 30.
The Avalanche will have home-ice advantage, no matter which team comes out of the East. Colorado led the Western Conference during the regular season with 119 points. The Avalanche completed a sweep of the Edmonton Oilers in the Western Conference Finals Monday.
Colorado only needed 14 playoff games to win the West. Game 6 will be Tampa Bay’s 17th postseason game. If New York reaches the Stanley Cup, it’ll have done so by winning three series that went the full seven games.
The Lightning are trying to win their third straight championship. It’s been two decades since any team in the four major American professional sports has accomplished that feat.
Photo: GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / BRUCE BENNETT
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