The Tampa Bay Lightning’s bid to three-peat continues against the Colorado Avalanche in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday, June 15.
The game (8 p.m. ET start time) will be televised on ABC and will also stream live on ESPN+.
If you don’t have cable, here are some different ways you can watch a live stream of the Lightning vs Avalanche online:
Note: Heavy may earn an affiliate commission if you sign up via a link on this page
FuboTV
You can watch a live stream of ABC and 100-plus other live TV channels on FuboTV, which comes with a free seven-day trial:
Once signed up for FuboTV, you can watch the Lightning vs Avalanche live on the FuboTV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the FuboTV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You only need to sign in to a participating internet service provider to watch games on ABC (listed as ESPN3), but if you don’t have that, you can use your Fubo credentials to log in and watch.
DirecTV Stream
DirecTV Stream has four different channel packages: “Entertainment,” “Choice,” “Ultimate” and “Premier.” ABC is included in every one, but you can pick any package and any add-on you want with your free five-day trial:
Once signed up for DirecTV Stream, you can watch the Lightning vs Avalanche live on the DirecTV Stream app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Samsung TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the DirecTV Stream website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You only need to sign in to a participating internet service provider to watch games on ABC (listed as ESPN3), but if you don’t have that, you can use your DirecTV Stream credentials to log in and watch.
ESPN+
In addition to being televised on ABC, every game of the Stanley Cup Finals will also stream live on ESPN+:
ESPN+ also includes dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) for $6.99 per month (or $20.97 for a bundle of all three of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu).
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch the Lightning vs Avalanche live on the ESPN app on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X/S, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Go, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
You can also watch on your computer via ESPN.com.
Sling TV
You can watch a live stream of ESPN3 (which simulcasts games on ABC) and 30-plus other live TV channels via Sling TV’s “Sling Orange” package. This option doesn’t include a free trial, but it’s the cheapest long-term streaming service with the ESPN channels, plus you can get $10 off your first month:
Once signed up for Sling TV, you can watch the Lightning vs Avalanche live on the Sling TV app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), airTV Mini, Oculus, Portal, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Sling TV website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You only need to sign in to a participating internet service provider to watch games on ABC (listed as ESPN3), but if you don’t have that, you can use your Sling credentials to log in and watch.
Hulu With Live TV
You can watch a live stream of ABC and 65+ other TV channels via Hulu With Live TV, which doesn’t come with a free trial but does include access to both ESPN+ and Disney+:
Once signed up for Hulu With Live TV, you can watch the Lightning vs Avalanche live on the Hulu app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Fire Stick, Apple TV, Chromecast, Xbox One or Series X/S, PlayStation 4 or 5, Nintendo Switch, Samsung TV, LG TV, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Hulu website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You only need to sign in to a participating internet service provider to watch games on ABC (listed as ESPN3), but if you don’t have that, you can use your Hulu credentials to log in and watch.
Vidgo
You can watch a live stream of ABC and 90+ other TV channels on Vidgo. This doesn’t include a free trial:
Once signed up for Vidgo, you can watch the Lightning vs Avalanche live on the Vidgo app, which is available on your Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV, or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), iPhone, Android phone, iPad, or Android tablet. Or you can watch on your computer via the Vidgo website.
You can also watch live via ESPN.com or the ESPN app. You only need to sign in to a participating internet service provider to watch games on ABC (listed as ESPN3), but if you don’t have that, you can use your Vidgo credentials to log in and watch.
Lightning vs Avalanche Game 1 Preview
Something will have to give as Tampa Bay and Colorado come in rolling into Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals on Wednesday.
“They’re a team that’s looking to become a dynasty, and we’re a team that’s looking to start a legacy,” Colorado defenseman Cale Makar said via The Washington Post’s Samantha Pell.
Tampa Bay overcame a 2-0 series deficit against the New York Rangers and won four straight to take the Eastern Conference Finals. Colorado rides a five-game winning streak into the Stanley Cup Finals after eliminating the St. Louis Blues and sweeping the Edmonton Oilers.
After a wild Game 1 against the Oilers, the Avalanche took control of the series and held on for the sweep in Game 4. Colorado hasn’t lost in regulation since May 19 against the Blues.
The Lightning meanwhile had to grind out three close wins to overcome a slow start against the Rangers. It took seven games for the Lightning to get past the Toronto Maple Leafs in the quarterfinals, and the Florida Panthers put up a fight despite the Lightning’s second-round sweep.
“We have a belief in how we play,” Lightning head coach Jon Cooper said via TampaBayLightning.com. “We have a system and we trust what we do, but you do have to tinker with it a little bit just to combat these high-octane teams. That’s why I’ve got to give the players so much credit because they commit to doing it.”
Tampa Bay came up short in both regular season meetings with the Avalanche. That included a 4-3 shootout loss in October 2021 and a 3-2 loss in February.
Colorado poses a challenge for any teams with two solid starting goalies in Darcy Kuemper and Pavel Francouz. Kuemper won 37 games and posted a 2.54 goals against average this season, and Francouz won 15 games with 2.55 goals allowed per night.
“It’s about the whole team, making sure we’re helping our goalies, forwards tracking well, blocking shots — doing all the little things to help those guys out,” Avalanche forward J.T. Compher said via the Denver Post’s Mike Chambers. “We have full confidence. Both guys have shown throughout the season that they can be successful and both guys have been doing the work. Obviously, Kuemps was out but he’s been working hard to be ready to go. Frankie, same thing, during this break he’s just getting ready.”
Lightning captain Steve Stamkos leads the team with 106 points on 42 goals and 64 assists. Victor Hedman has also produced big numbers for the Lightning with 85 points on 20 goals and 65 assists.
The Lightning will likely get reinforcements as the series goes on with Bradyen Point coming back from injury. Point, who had 58 points in the regular season, has been out with an injury since the Leafs series.
“There’s a chance [he plays],” Cooper said via ESPN’s Greg Wyshynski. “Last series, if it was going to go deep, we thought potentially [he could play], but we weren’t going to push anything. It’s all about how he feels. He felt pretty good today.”
Andrei Vasilevskiy remains a force in goal for the Lightning. He has 39 wins and a 2.49 goals against average. Brian Elliott also stepped up in goal this season for the Lightning with 11 wins and a 2.43 goals against average.
Mikko Rantanen leads a potent Avalanche attack with 92 points on a 36 goals and 56 assists. Nathan MacKinnon, Nazem Kadri, and Makar all have more than 85 points apiece.
“They have some superstars on this team,” Lightning right winger Corey Perry said via TampaBayLightning.com’s Chris Krenn. “It starts with the back end with Makar. It goes to MacKinnon, Rantanen, Landeskog. They can put the puck in the back of the net different ways.
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Lightning vs Avalanche Game 1 Live Stream: How to Watch Online