The Stanley Cup Final is a series … for now. The two-time defending champion Tampa Bay Lightning simply needed a return home to win their first game of the series and cut the Colorado Avalanche’s lead to 2-1. Game 4 is in Tampa on Wednesday night, but the Lightning might be without one of their best players

Nitrobetting preps you for the 2022 Stan;ley Cup Finals clash in this Lightning vs. Avalanche Game 4 preview. We share helpful insights that cover team and player stats and the latest NHL betting odds. You can also find timely betting trends and predictions that point you in the right direction.

Avalanche vs. Lightning Game 4 Information

GAME 4 TONIGHT ????

Who are you taking? #StanleyCup

????: 8p ET on ABC, @ESPNPlus and @Sportsnet pic.twitter.com/Ad3IP9z063

— NHL (@NHL) June 22, 2022

• When: Wednesday, June 22 at 8:00 pm ET
• Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
• TV: ABC, CBC, SN, TVAS
• Radio: Altitude Sports Radio 92.5 FM (Avalanche)) // 970 WFLA AM (Lightning)
• Live Stream: NHL Live
• NHL Betting Odds: Avalanche (-111) / Lightning (-109)

READ MORE: Lightning vs. Avalanche Game 5 Stanley Cup Final Odds and Preview – June 24th, 2022

Why Bet on the Colorado Avalanche?

Avs goaltender Darcy Kuemper drew some criticism from his coach after Monday’s 6-2 loss. Kuemper allowed five goals on 22 shots before being yanked halfway through the game. “I didn’t think he had a good night,” Avalanche coach Jared Bednar said of Kuemper. He did add: “Neither did our team so you win as a team and lose as a team and I group him in with everybody else.”

Kuemper has been something of a mixed bag in the 2022 playoffs. He does have an 8-3 record, but his 2.76 GAA and .892 save percentage in 13 starts aren’t great. The Avalanche do have a viable alternative in Pavel Francouz, who stopped nine of 10 shots in relief in Game 3. Seems likely that Kuemper will start again Wednesday.

Gabriel Landeskog scored twice on the power play in the loss. He has 11 goals and 21 points in 17 games after missing the last 23 games of the regular season due to knee surgery. Forwards Andre Burkovsky and Nazem Kadri missed Game 3 – Kadri hasn’t played yet this series – and neither is expected for Game 4. Colorado had won seven straight road games before the Game 3 loss. The Avalanche haven’t lost back-to-back games at all this postseason.

Why Bet on the Tampa Bay Lightning?

The Lightning again gave up a fairly early first-period goal in Game 3 to fall down 1-0 (another goal actually was wiped out by review) but then took control on the way to a 6-2 victory. Corey Perry set a unique NHL record in the win as he became the first player to score a goal in the Stanley Cup Final with four different teams. Perry won the Cup with Anaheim back in 2007, but more recently he’s made it to the finals in 2020, 2021, and 2022 with Dallas, Montreal, and Tampa Bay respectively.

Perry replaced the injured Brayden Point on the first power play unit and made the most of his opportunity as he scored his sixth of the playoffs but first in 10 games. He has eight points in 20 games. Point (undisclosed) is “highly doubtful” for Game 4 on Wednesday, per Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper. Point was originally hurt on May 14 during the Lightning’s first round series against Toronto. Point attempted to return for the Stanley Cup Final, but after playing in two games, he was out of the lineup again on Monday.

Ondrej Palat scored once and added an assist to give him a six-game points streak. Palat has five goals and 10 points in the six-game streak and that gives him 10 goals and 19 points in 19 games. Steven Stamkos scored once and added an assist. Stamkos set up Ondrej Palat to make it 2-1 Tampa Bay at the end of one period and then scored the fourth goal on a nice pass from Nikita Kucherov. The captain is having a fine postseason with 10 goals and 17 points in 20 games.

Kucherov left in discomfort with 6:05 remaining in the third period with what appeared to be a left leg injury. He was hurt when he was knocked to the ice awkwardly by Avalanche defender Devon Toews, who was given a cross-checking penalty on the play. Kucherov did have two assists in the win and has seven goals and 26 points in 20 playoff games. Cooper believes that Kucherov will be ready for this game.

Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped 37 shots as a return home solved his problems. He had given up 11 goals on 68 shots in the first two games in Denver. Vasilevskiy is 13-7 in the postseason and 8-1 at home.

Avalanche vs. Lightning Betting Trends

• Avalanche are 41-19 in their last 60 games playing on 1 days rest.
• Avalanche are 37-18 in their last 55 Wednesday games.
• The total went over in 7 of Colorado’s last 10 games.
• Lightning are 8-2 in their last 10 games following a win.
• Lightning are 13-5 in their last 18 playoff games as an underdog.
• The total went under in 10 of Tampa Bay’s last 13 games.

Avalanche vs. Lightning Expert Betting Predictions

Lightning 4, Avalanche 3.

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