The Colorado Avalanche have travelled to Tampa with one goal in mind.

If they play Game 3 and Game 4 the way they played Game 2, they’ll be Stanley Cup champions when they return to Denver later this week.

The Avalanche have won seven straight playoff games, nine of their last 10 overall, and haven’t lost a single game on the road this postseason.

After a 7-0 win over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 2, Colorado is up to 11 goals in the first two games of this series, which is tied for the most by any team through two games of a Stanley Cup Final over the last 30 years.

Can Andrei Vasilevskiy and company slow them down in what is essentially a must-win for Tampa Bay?

While the majority of hockey and betting analysts aren’t willing to write off the two-time defending Stanley Cup champions just yet, I have a hard time buying that the Lightning can win four of its next five against an Avalanche side that completely dominated the first two games.

Here’s the TSN EDGE Morning Coffee for Monday, June 20th, 2022.

Can Lightning Slow Down Avalanche In Game 3? 

Entering Game 1, Colorado was -175 to win the Stanley Cup at FanDuel. 

After outscoring Tampa Bay 11-3 in back-to-back wins on home ice, the Avalanche are now -600 to win it all at FanDuel this morning.

The Lightning went from +150 to +500 after falling into a 2-0 hole in the series.

If you listened to anybody that told you there was value betting on Tampa Bay to win it all at +150, you realize now that assessment was incorrect. 

Colorado has a significant edge in nearly every relevant statistical category through two games.

Perhaps most concerning for anybody who bet the Lightning is the lack of a response at any point as Game 2 spiralled out of control. 

Will we get one from the Lightning tonight in Game 3?

If we do, I’m betting that it won’t be enough for them to win the game. 

The Avalanche have averaged 4.75 goals per game this postseason, and that number jumped to 5.5 in the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final despite several impressive saves by Vasilevskiy.

Tampa Bay has leaned heavily on its world-class goaltender throughout three straight trips to the Final, but Vasilevskiy has not been able to slow down Colorado yet.

At the other end, the Lightning have struggled to generate much at all in terms of scoring chances without giving up opportunities in transition.

In addition to their remarkable skill and depth, the Avalanche also have the advantage of being the younger and more rested team as the series shifts to Tampa. 

Colorado is 7-0 on the road this postseason.

After holding the Lightning to just 16 shots on goal in Game 2, the Avalanche should be looking to build off that performance with a chance to put the two-time defending champs on the ropes tonight.

Colorado opened -102 on the money line for Game 3.

It’s currently a pick’em at FanDuel this morning, with both teams listed at -108 to win outright.

I jumped on Avalanche ML at -102 on Saturday night.

I would still play them at -108.

Meanwhile, the total is set at 6 for the second game in a row. 

Colorado has lost twice this postseason.

Both of those losses came against the St. Louis Blues in the second round.

The Avalanche allowed 4+ goals in each of those losses.

For as good as Vasilevskiy has been for Tampa Bay at times this postseason, I still think the Lightning will need to score three or four goals in order to have a chance to win Game 3. 

That’s my expectation for them against an opponent that is up to 11 goals without a single marker from their best forward in Nathan MacKinnon.

The Lightning to go over 2.5 goals is -140 at FanDuel this morning.

Colorado to go over 2.5 goals is -144.

In terms of player props, I’ll circle back with one of the stars of the series so far and bet on Valeri Nichushkin to go over 3 shots on goal in Game 3.

Nichushkin, who scored twice in Game 2 and has three goals in the series, has 11 shots on goal through the first two games of the Stanley Cup Final.

Even if we see some regression, he could clear the bar with four shots on goal as a key cog on a dominant first line for the Avalanche tonight.

Roughriders Win, Cover As CFL Best Bet

For the second week in a row, we cashed our best bet in the CFL with the Saskatchewan Roughriders -6.5 versus the Edmonton Elks on Saturday night.

Saskatchewan, which opened -6.5 but closed -7.5 at FanDuel, beat Edmonton 26-16 in the CFL Week 2 finale.

We also got our first upset of the season and it was a memorable one.

The Calgary Stampeders were +800 on the money line down 24-3 to the Hamilton Tiger-Cats at the half. 

Calgary outscored Hamilton 27-6 the rest of the way, with Rene Paredes kicking the winning field goal in overtime to seal the comeback victory. 

The Stampeders, which closed +102 on the money line, are the first underdog to win a game in the CFL this season as favourites are 7-1 straight up through two weeks.

Meanwhile, despite a combined 63 points in that overtime thriller between Calgary and Hamilton, we saw some scoring regression across the league in Week 2.

The average points per game in Week 2 was 43.75, which is down from 52.5 points in Week 1.

Three of the four games stayed under the total.

Fitzpatrick Wins U.S. Open

Matt Fitzpatrick is the 2022 U.S. Open winner. 

Fitzpatrick finished six-under to edge out Will Zalatoris and Scottie Scheffler by one stroke for his first career major win. 

For those keeping track at home, 11 of the last 14 U.S. Open winners have been first-time major winners. 

It also happened to be Fitzpatrick’s first career PGA Tour victory. 

He’s the first player to earn his first PGA Tour victory at the U.S. Open since Graeme McDowell did it in 2010.

Fitzpatrick was +2500 to win it pre-tournament.