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The Tampa Bay Lightning (42-26-7, sixth in the Eastern Conference) visit the Montreal Canadiens (29-33-12, 15th) at the Bell Centre on Thursday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, TSN2, RDS and BSSUN.
Tampa Bay won 4-1 on the road against the Toronto Maple Leafs yesterday, while Montreal won a 5-3 home game over the Florida Panthers on Tuesday, April 2.
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Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens: Game preview
The Canadiens are averaging 2.72 goals per game and conceding 3.32, while their power play success rate is 17.5%.
Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 32 goals and 39 assists, while Cole Caufield follows closely with 21 goals and 35 assists. Mike Matheson has contributed 42 assists. Sam Montembeault holds a 15-14-7 record in goal, boasting a 3.03 goals-against average and a save percentage of .906.
Meanwhile, the Lightning have a GF of 3.47, with a 28.9% success rate on their power play opportunities. At the defensive end, the Lightning have a GAA of 3.23.
Nikita Kucherov leads the team in scoring with 42 goals and 88 assists. Brandon Hagel has contributed 23 goals with 46 assists, while Brayden Point has netted 43 goals and added 40 assists. In goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy holds a 29-17-2 record with a 2.82 GAA and a .901 SV%.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens: Head-to-head and significant numbers
- The two teams have faced off 115 times, combining the regular season and playoffs.
- The Lightning have an overall record of 59-39-6-11 against the Canadiens.
- In faceoffs, the Lightning have a 51.6% win rate, while the Canadiens have 51.9%.
- The Canadiens boast a 77.2% success rate on penalty kills, while the Lightning are 82.7%.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens: Odds and prediction
Tampa Bay has won 27 of 43 games as the odds favorite and 10 of its 14 games with odds shorter than -169. The team has a 62.8% chance of winning tonight.
Meanwhile, the Canadiens have been listed as the underdogs in 68 games and have upset their opponents 24 times. With +142 odds or longer, they have a 12-31 record, which means they have a 41.3% chance to win here.
Prediction: Lightning 5-3 Canadiens
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens: Betting tips
Tip 1: Result: Lightning to win
Tip 2: Total goals over 5: Yes
Tip 3: Nick Suzuki to score anytime: Yes
Tip 4: Brayden Point to score first: Yes
Tip 5: Canadiens to beat the spread: No
