NHL STANLEY CUP FINALS GAME 2: TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING VS. MONTREAL
NHL Stanley Cup Finals Game 2: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal
Now it is game two of the Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens Stanley Cup Finals Series, and the stakes have never been higher. Tampa vs Montreal picks 2021 have resulted in an even 0-0 split. Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens 2020 – 2021 games were not allowed, as the league had teams only face divisional opponents. Now with a game under their belts, the Montreal Canadiens know just what this Lightning team is capable of and should have a better approach for their matchup this evening. Stay tuned for our Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens predictions!
Vicious Vasilevskiy
Andrei Vasilevskiy has been a defending phenom all season and showed up to play in Game 1. On 19 shots, Vasilevskiy only allowed one shot to hit the net and hoisted a save percentage of .947. If he could even remotely replicate this effort, the team should be in a great spot. However, it is to note that while his efforts in the net are absurd, his support is what excels his talent.
Victor Hedman has been an outstanding defender all season and was a key contributor to two of the shutouts that the Lightning had against the Islanders in their Eastern Conference Series matchup. His pressure has allowed the Lightning to limit incoming shots on Vasilevskiy and help them control the puck for longer durations of time. This dominance on defense heavily weighs into our Montreal vs Tampa Bay predictions.
Three-Headed Monster
The Lightning attack is overbearing, and their trio of stars absolutely shined in the opener of the series. Nikita Kucherov leads the way with 2 goals and an assist and seemed to be the clear edge in this matchup. Canadiens’ defenders had such a hard time trying to limit what he could do with the puck, but his ability to pass makes him a threat in all aspects. It should be expected the Canadiens gameplan around this, but then they were leaving two stars in a capitalizing position.
Brayden Point had three assists in Monday night’s game, and he has been a crucial part of this Lightning’s identity all year. If in some weird world you can stop both Kucherov and Point, then could you stop Steven Stamkos? Stamkos has been one of the greatest centers in hockey history, and after grabbing his first Stanley Cup victory last year, he is looking to make up for lost time in his late career.
Do not sleep on youngster Ross Colton’s impact as well, as he is a bright star for the future of the Lightning. Tampa vs Montreal predictions are becoming abundantly more apparent.
Canadiens’ Crashing Charisma
The Montreal Canadiens looked absolutely flat in this game against the Lightning. Goalie Carey Price has been on another planet this postseason but allowed 5 pucks in the net on Monday. This is not all on Price, however, as the team should have provided him better defensive coverage as he had to defend 27 shots from one of the best offenses in hockey.
Three-Headed Monster
The Lightning attack is overbearing, and their trio of stars absolutely shined in the opener of the series. Nikita Kucherov leads the way with 2 goals and an assist and seemed to be the clear edge in this matchup. Canadiens’ defenders had such a hard time trying to limit what he could do with the puck, but his ability to pass makes him a threat in all aspects. It should be expected the Canadiens gameplan around this, but then they were leaving two stars in a capitalizing position.
Brayden Point had three assists in Monday night’s game, and he has been a crucial part of this Lightning’s identity all year. If in some weird world you can stop both Kucherov and Point, then could you stop Steven Stamkos? Stamkos has been one of the greatest centers in hockey history, and after grabbing his first Stanley Cup victory last year, he is looking to make up for lost time in his late career. Do not sleep on youngster Ross Colton’s impact as well, as he is a bright star for the future of the Lightning. Tampa vs Montreal predictions are becoming abundantly more apparent.
Canadiens’ Crashing Charisma
The Montreal Canadiens looked absolutely flat in this game against the Lightning. Goalie Carey Price has been on another planet this postseason but allowed 5 pucks in the net on Monday. This is not all on Price, however, as the team should have provided him better defensive coverage as he had to defend 27 shots from one of the best offenses in hockey. The problems don’t stop on the defensive side, though. The Canadiens only attempted 19 shots on goal with a single shot going in and could not convert either of their power plays. The Canadiens have had a Cinderella to this point, but we believe that the clock has finally struck midnight. It’s time for our Tampa vs Montreal picks!
The Verdict
Tampa vs Montreal odds obviously have the Lightning as favorites, but is there value in these odds? BetOnline has the odds at (-203) for the Tampa Bay Lightning while the Montreal Canadiens have (+182) odds. In this situation, the Lightning are more than worthy of two-to-one odds, but it is worth taking the risk with the Tampa Bay Lightning spread. OSB Official Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+125) (at BetOnline) To get daily game analysis visit our blog, sign up for our free picks, and follow us on Instagram and YouTube.
