MIAMI, June 17 (UPI) -- The 2022 Stanley Cup Final and the U.S. Open, the third major tournament of the golf season, are the top sports events scheduled for this weekend.
College World Series baseball games, dozens of regular-season MLB and MLS games and a Formula 1 race in Montreal also are scheduled from Friday through Sunday.
Combat sports fans can tune in Saturday for a cluster of UFC fights and boxing bouts.
But the Colorado Avalanche's attempt to dethrone the Tampa Bay Lightning will be the main event this weekend.
Related
The Avalanche, the No. 1 seed from the Western Conference, are favored in the best-of-seven series. The Lightning are trying to become the first team since 1980's New York Islanders to win three-consecutive titles.
Stanley Cup
The Avalanche needed overtime to slip past the Lightning in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final on Wednesday in Denver. They will attempt to take a 2-0 series lead when they host the Lighting in Game 2 at 8 p.m. EDT Saturday at Ball Arena.
All Stanley Cup Final games will air on ABC.
"Anytime you lose Game 1, you aren't feeling great about it," Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters Wednesday.
"We dipped our toes in the water and dug ourselves a hole. There were stretches of the game where I liked what we were doing and stretches that I didn't. ... There are some positive signs for us, but the right team won the game."
The series will move to Tampa for Game 3 on Monday and Game 4 on Wednesday. The Avalanche are scheduled to host Game 5 and Game 7, if necessary. The Lighting could host Game 6.
"It's nice," Avalanche defenseman Devon Toews told NHL.com. "Getting the first one is obviously huge, especially in our own building. ... It's going to be tough to stay committed to our game."
U.S. Open
The U.S. Open teed off Thursday at The Country Club in Brookline, Mass. Rory McIlroy, the No. 3 player in the Official World Golf Ranking is the favorite.
The four-round tournament will air through Sunday on USA Network and NBC. Second-round coverage will start at 9:30 a.m. EDT Friday on USA Network. The round will continue from 4 to 7 p.m. on NBC.
Saturday's third round will air from noon to 8 p.m. on NBC. The final round will air from 10 a.m. to noon Sunday on USA Network and from noon to 7 p.m. on NBC.
No. 5 Justin Thomas, No. 2 Jon Rahm, No. 1 Scottie Scheffler and No. 6 Cameron Smith are the favorites to win. No. 10 Jordan Spieth, No. 12 Xander Schauffele, No. 18 Matt Fitzpatrick, No. 4 Patrick Cantlay, No. 9 Sam Burns and No. 14 Will Zalatoris are among other expected contenders.
Seven of the 17 golfers suspended by the PGA Tour for their participation in the LIV Golf Invitational Series also are in the 156-player field in Brookline.
Rahm is the defending champion. No. 19 Brooks Koepka claimed two of the past five U.S. Open titles. Scheffler claimed the first major title of the year in April at the Masters. Thomas claimed the PGA Championship last month in Tulsa, Okla.
Scheffler, Burns, Thomas, McIlroy and Smith lead the FedExCup season standings.
Weekend schedule (all times EDT)
Friday
Golf
U.S. Open: Second round from 9:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. on USA Network; from 4 to 7 p.m. on NBC
MLB
White Sox at Astros at 8 p.m. on Apple TV+
Guardians at Dodgers at 10 p.m. on Apple TV+
Saturday
Golf
U.S. Open: Third round from noon to 8 p.m. on NBC
Soccer
MLS: LAFC at Seattle at 3 p.m. on ABC
MLS: Portland at Los Angeles Galaxy at 5 p.m. on ESPN
MLS: Toronto at New York Red Bulls at 7 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Austin at Montreal at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Charlotte at Columbus at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Houston at Orlando at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Cincinnati at Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: DC United at Chicago at 8 p.m. on TUDN/Twitter
MLS: Vancouver at Dallas at 9 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: San Jose at Salt Lake at 9:30 p.m. on ESPN+
MLB
Rangers at Tigers at 4 p.m. on FS1
Guardians at Dodgers at 7 p.m. on Fox
Cardinals at Red Sox at 7 p.m. on Fox
UFC Fight Night on ESPN+
Julian Marquez vs. Gregory Rodrigues at 7 p.m.
Damir Ismagulov vs. Guram Kutateladze after first fight
Joaquin Buckley vs. Albert Duraev after second fight
Tim Means vs. Kevin Holland after third fight
Donald Cerrone vs. Joe Lauzon after fourth fight
Calvin Kattar vs. Josh Emmett after fifth fight
Stanley Cup Final
Game 3: Lightning at Avalanche at 8 p.m. on ABC
Boxing
Joe Smith Jr. vs. Arthur Beterbiev: Main card starts at 10 p.m. on ESPN+
Sunday
Golf
U.S. Open: Final round from 10 a.m. to noon on USA Network; from noon to 7 p.m. on NBC
MLB
Phillies at Nationals at noon on Peacock
White Sox at Astros at 7 p.m. on ESPN
Formula 1
Canadian Grand Prix at 1 p.m. on ABC
Soccer
MLS: Miami at Atlanta at 3 p.m. on ESPN2
MLS: Minnesota at New England at 5 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Colorado at NYCFC at 5 p.m. on ESPN+
MLS: Kansas City at Nashville at 6 p.m. on FS1
