Expert picks for Lightning-Avalanche, Conn Smythe Trophy
It’s all come down to this in the 2022 Stanley Cup playoffs: The Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning are poised to square off for the sport’s ultimate prize.
Will it be a three-peat for the Lightning? Or the first Cup in over 20 years for the Avs? Our ESPN hockey experts are here to make their picks for the Cup victors as well as which player will take home the Conn Smythe Trophy as the MVP of the playoffs.
More: Cup final preview
Schedule | Most pivotal players
Sean Allen: Lightning in six
Blake Bolden: Avs in six
Brian Boucher: Lightning in six
John Buccigross: Lightning in six
Ryan Callahan: Lightning in six
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Lightning in seven
Sachin Chandan: Lightning in six
Linda Cohn: Avs in seven
Rick DiPietro: Lightning in six
Ray Ferraro: Avs in seven
Leah Hextall: Lightning in seven
Emily Kaplan: Avs in seven
Tim Kavanagh: Lightning in six
Hilary Knight: Avs in six
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Avs in seven
Steve Levy: Lightning in seven
Victoria Matiash: Avs in seven
Sean McDonough: Lightning in six
Mark Messier: Lightning in seven
AJ Mleczko: Avs in seven
Dominic Moore: Lightning in six
Arda Öcal: Avs in six
Kristen Shilton: Avs in seven
Kevin Weekes: Lightning in six
Bob Wischusen: Avs in six
Greg Wyshynski: Avs in six
Consensus pick: Lightning, 14/26
The Colorado Avalanche and Tampa Bay Lightning are facing off in the Stanley Cup Final. You can watch all seven games on ABC, ESPN+ and in the ESPN App.
Game 1: Wednesday, 8 p.m. ET (@ COL)
Game 2: Saturday, 8 p.m. ET (@ COL)
Game 3: Monday, 8 p.m. ET (@ TB)
Game 4: June 22, 8 p.m. ET (@ TB)
Game 5*: June 24, 8 p.m. ET (@ COL)
Game 6*: June 26, 8 p.m. ET (@ TB)
Game 7*: June 28, 8 p.m. ET (@ COL)
*If necessary
Sean Allen: Steven Stamkos
Blake Bolden: Cale Makar
Brian Boucher: Andrei Vasilevskiy
John Buccigross: Steven Stamkos
Ryan Callahan: Steven Stamkos
Cassie Campbell-Pascall: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Sachin Chandan: Steven Stamkos
Linda Cohn: Nathan MacKinnon
Rick DiPietro: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Ray Ferraro: Cale Makar
Leah Hextall: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Emily Kaplan: Cale Makar
Tim Kavanagh: Nikita Kucherov
Hilary Knight: Cale Makar
Peter Lawrence-Riddell: Cale Makar
Steve Levy: Steven Stamkos
Victoria Matiash: Cale Makar
Sean McDonough: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Mark Messier: Andrei Vasilevskiy
AJ Mleczko: Cale Makar
Dominic Moore: Anthony Cirelli
Arda Öcal: Cale Makar
Kristen Shilton: Cale Makar
Kevin Weekes: Andrei Vasilevskiy
Bob Wischusen: Nathan MacKinnon
Greg Wyshynski: Cale Makar
Totals: Cale Makar (10), Andrei Vasilevskiy (7), Steven Stamkos (5), Nathan MacKinnon (2), Nikita Kucherov (1), Anthony Cirelli (1)