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The Tampa Bay Lightning are three wins from repeating as Stanley Cup champions as they hold a 1-0 lead in the 2021 Stanley Cup Final over the Montreal Canadiens. Game 2 is set for Wednesday at 8 p.m. ET from Amalie Arena in Tampa, Fla. In three previous Stanley Cup Final appearances on the way to winning two Cups overall, the Lightning had failed to win Game 1. Teams that own a 1-0 lead in a best-of-seven series in the Stanley Cup Final hold an all-time series record of 61-20.
William Hill Sportsbook lists Tampa Bay as a -210 home favorite (risk $210 to win $100) for Game 2, while the over-under for total goals sits at 5 in the latest Lightning vs. Canadiens odds. Before making any Canadiens vs. Lightning picks or any other NHL predictions, you need to see what SportsLine NHL expert Matt Severance has to say.
Severance is a well-connected writer and handicapper who has worked in the industry since 2005. He is a whopping 174-113 in his last 287 NHL picks, returning $1,780 for the $100 bettor overall and $1,851 on moneyline selections. You need to check out what he has to say about Game 2.
Now, Severance has set his sights on Canadiens vs Lightning. You can head to SportsLine now to see his picks. Now, here are several NHL betting lines and trends for Lightning vs. Canadiens:
- Canadiens vs. Lightning money line: Lightning -215, Canadiens +185
- Canadiens vs. Lightning over-under: 5 goals
- Canadiens vs. Lightning spread: Lightning -1.5 (+125)
- MON: The Canadiens are 9-3 in their last 12 playoff games as an underdog
- TB: The Lightning are 48-19 in their last 67 games as a home favorite
Why the Canadiens can win
Montreal lost three-straight games in Games 2-4 of the first round vs. the Toronto Maple Leafs and hasn’t lost back-to-back games since. Future Hall of Fame goaltender Carey Price had a rare off game in the 5-1 loss in the Stanley Cup Final opener, his most goals allowed in these playoffs. The previous time he allowed at least four goals, Price went on a five-game run of allowing two goals or fewer. In addition, the Canadiens are 4-0 in their last four after scoring two goals or less in their previous game.
Forward Joel Armia is a game time decision for Wednesday’s matchup. He landed in COVID protocols over the weekend and didn’t originally travel with the team. Armia is in Tampa now after clearing protocols. He has five goals and three assists this postseason and is an important part of the team’s penalty kill. Montreal had killed off 32-straight penalties before allowing a power-play goal late in Game 1.
Why the Lightning can win
This is the most talented overall roster in the NHL. That showed in the 2020 playoffs and again in Game 1 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. The top four players in points this postseason are all members of the Lightning as are the NHL’s top three goal-scorers. Conn Smythe Trophy candidates Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point each had three points in Game 1. Kucherov leads the league with 30 points and is the sixth different player in the last 30 years to record 30 points in a playoff year in 19 games or fewer. The Russian also is the fourth player in NHL history with 30 or more points in multiple playoff years.
Point also had three points in the opener and is second with 23 points and first with 14 goals. He and Kucherov have each had at least a point in six-straight Stanley Cup Final games dating to Game 2 last year. Tampa Bay is 13-2 this postseason when scoring the opening goal of a game and is averaging 4.2 goals per game at home in the playoffs. The Bolts are 15-6 in their last 21 playoff games as favorites, and are on a seven-game home winning streak vs. the Canadiens dating back a few years.
How to make Canadiens vs. Lightning picks
Severance is going under on total goals scored. He’s also found an x-factor that has him jumping all over one side of the money line in Game 2 of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final. You can only see his Stanley Cup Final 2021 expert picks on SportsLine.
So who wins Canadiens vs. Lightning? And what x-factor makes one side of the money line a huge value? Visit SportsLine now to find out which side of the Canadiens vs. Lightning matchup you need to jump on Wednesday, all from the expert that has crushed his NHL picks, and find out.