The Tampa Bay Lightning found themselves down 2-0 against the New York Rangers in the Eastern Conference Finals before rallying behind star goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy and turning things around, winning four straight in order to end the series in six games. Now, Tampa is set for a date with the Colorado Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Final as they look to complete their coveted three-peat. Ahead of the Lightning-Avalanche showdown, we'll be making our Lightning Stanley Cup Final predictions.

While the Avalanche have largely been considered title favorites throughout their dominant postseason run, the Lightning will have Stanley Cup Final experience most other teams would only dream of boasting. Winners of each of the past two Cups, Tampa will look to utilize momentum and impeccable defense in order to stun the Avalanche and win their third consecutive Stanley Cup.

In the Lightning's 4-2 defeat of the Rangers, Vasilevskiy went save-for-save with the game's best goaltender in Igor Shesterkin. Tampa's defense dominated the Rangers' attackers, playing physically and ensuring that New York's chances in front of the net were limited. A large part of their success in the defensive third was the play of Anthony Cirelli, who has been essential as a defensive-minded forward, helping mitigate the impact of some star offensive players. He'll be hoping to have a similar impact against the likes of Nathan MacKinnon, Mikko Rantanen, Valeri Nichushkin, Gabriel Landeskog, and the rest of the Avs' elite attack.

The series will get underway on June 15 in Colorado, and the Lightning will be hoping to put up a strong fight in Game 1. With all that in mind, here are our bold Lightning predictions for the Stanley Cup Final against the Colorado Avalanche.

 

Tampa Bay Lightning Stanley Cup Final Predictions

3. Andrei Vasilevskiy slows down Colorado's potent offense

While the Lightning didn't struggle too much to halt the Rangers' offense in the ECF, they'll be up against an entirely different beast in the Avalanche. Even without Nazem Kadri, who underwent surgery after getting injured on a dirty hit from Evander Kane, the Avs have enough star power in attack to make life difficult for the Lightning. Despite that, Tampa will look to focus on defense and stifle the Avalanche's attack by putting bodies in front of the crease and blocking shots.

Vasilevskiy has been elite throughout the postseason. After surrendering six goals in Game 1 against the Rangers, the 27-year-old Russian netminder surrendered a total of eight goals across the next five games, logging a .942 save percentage in that span. He'll have a tougher time keeping Colorado off the scoresheet, but he can certainly keep this series close if he continues to play at a high level. Remember, he was dominant in a four-game sweep against the top-scoring team in the Florida Panthers not long ago.

2. Brayden Point makes an emphatic return

Brayden Point's status has effectively been up in the air ever since he went down with an injury in the Lightning's opening-round series against the Maple Leafs. Having now missed the past 10 games and each of Tampa Bay's previous two playoff series, there has still been no official indication as to whether or not the star forward will be cleared for the Stanley Cup Final. While his status is unclear, it seems highly unlikely that the 26-year-old would let any injury keep him from taking the ice while the Lightning are vying for a three-peat.

We're expecting Point to make his return to the Lightning's lineup during the series, hopefully as early as Game 1. He'll have until Wednesday to continue resting up his lower-body injury in order to get back on the ice, so hopefully the added recovery time is just what he needs.

When Point does eventually return to the ice, we're expecting him to play with a chip on his shoulder and look to make up for lost time. He's going to run rampant on Colorado when he's finally activated again, and should get on the scoresheet in a few games.

*Watch NHL Games LIVE with fuboTV (click for free trial)*

1. Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos dominate, Lightning stun the Avs

Despite winning the past two Stanley Cup Finals, the Lightning figure to be underdogs in their series against the Avalanche. They'll have their work cut out for them against a star-studded Avalanche squad that boasts elite talent both on offense and defense. While Colorado is talented, they lack the experience that players such as Stamkos and Kucherov have gained throughout their careers.

Both played pivotal roles in each of the Lightning's run to the Stanley Cup over the past two seasons. The offensive stars are among the most gifted playmakers in all of hockey, and both have a vital tendency to show up in big games. We're predicting them to play with an increased level of physicality to match that of the Avs' hard-hitters, and for the duo to register at least one point in every single game of the matchup. If Stamkos and Kucherov play at the top of their game, the Lightning could give the Avalanche a run for their money and make it three in a row.