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The Tampa Bay Lightning (32-24-6) welcome the Montreal Canadiens (23-28-9) to the Amalie Arena on Saturday at 7 p.m. ET. The game will be broadcast on ESPN+, CBC, CITY, TVAS and BSSUN.
Tampa Bay's previous game ended in a 3-2 OT home loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday, while Montreal suffered a 4-3 defeat to the Florida Panthers on the same day, falling 2-1 in a shootout.
Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Game Preview
The Canadiens are averaging 2.77 goals per game and conceding 3.50, while their power play success rate is 19.5%.
Nick Suzuki leads Montreal with 24 goals and 35 assists, while Cole Caufield follows closely with 19 goals and 28 assists. Mike Matheson has contributed 35 assists. Sam Montembeault holds a 13-10-5 record in goal, boasting a 3.15 GAA and a .904 SV%.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, meanwhile, averages 3.35 goals per game, with a 29.0% success rate on their power play opportunities. At the defensive end, the Lightning concede 3.39 goals per game.
Nikita Kucherov leads the team in scoring with 38 goals and 66 assists. Brandon Hagel has contributed 22 goals with 37 assists, while Brayden Point has netted 31 goals and added 33 assists. In goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy holds a 20-15-0 record with a 2.99 GAA and a .896 SV%.
Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Head-to-head and significant numbers
- The two teams have faced off 133 times, combining the regular season and playoffs.
- The Lightning have an overall record of 70-50-6-7 against the Canadiens.
- In faceoffs, the Lightning have a 51.2% win rate, while the Canadiens have 52.4%.
- On penalty kills, the Canadiens boast a 73.9% success rate, while the Lightning are 79.9%.
Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Odds and prediction
This season, Tampa Bay has demonstrated dominance with a 20-14 record when favored by odds. The Lightning have been particularly formidable in games where they have been heavily favored, with odds shorter than -250, boasting an impressive 71.4% chance of winning this game.
Conversely, the Montreal Canadiens have often found themselves in the underdog role, getting labeled as such in 55 games this season. Nevertheless, they've upset their opponents 19 times.
However, Montreal has struggled in 12 games where they were significant underdogs, with odds of +203 or longer, posting a 1-11 record and holding a 33.0% chance of winning.
Prediction: Lightning 5-4 Canadiens
Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning: Betting tips
Tip 1: Result: Lightning to win
Tip 2: Total goals over 6: Yes
Tip 3: Nick Suzuki to score anytime: Yes
Tip 4: Nikita Kucherov to score first: Yes
Tip 5: Canadiens to beat the spread: Yes
