Blue Jackets vs. Lightning Game 2 Prediction, Stanley Cup Playoff Odds
The Lightning are favoured to take a 2-0 series lead on the NHL odds.
Blue Jackets vs. Lightning NHL Stanley Cup Odds
Tampa Bay’s 3-2 five-overtime win in Game 1 took so long – a bit more than six hours – that it forced the postponement of the Carolina Hurricanes-Boston Bruins matchup Tuesday night that was to start at 8 p.m. ET at Scotiabank Arena. That had to be pushed to Wednesday morning.
The 150:27 of total game time was the fourth-longest in NHL history. The record is 176:30 in a 1936 series between the Detroit Red Wings and long-defunct Montreal Maroons. One has to wonder if both head coaches turn to their backup goalies for Game 2 on Thursday because the starters have to be absolutely worn out in facing an NHL playoff record 151 combined shots on goal.
Tampa Bay is now -447 to win the series and Columbus +291. The favoured exact series result is Lightning in five games at +251.
Columbus Blue Jackets
Blue Jackets netminder Joonas Korpisalo knocked out the Maple Leafs from the qualifying round with a shutout, but he was even better in the loss Wednesday in facing an NHL playoff record 88 shots (88!) and stopping a record 85. The previous record of 73 saves was set by the Islanders’ Kelly Hrudey in Game 7 of the Patrick Division semifinals vs. Washington. That went four OTs and New York also won 3-2 – it was nicknamed the “Easter Epic” as it started on Saturday night but ended early morning on Easter Sunday.
Columbus had leads of 1-0 and 2-1 in the game thanks to goals from Pierre-Luc Dubois (fourth of this postseason) and Oliver Bjorkstrand (first). Star defenceman Seth Jones played an NHL record 65:06 — the most minutes his NBA father Popeye Jones ever played in a game was 56 for the Raptors in 1996 vs. Boston — and had an assist. Fellow blueliner Zach Werenski played 61:14, the fourth-most in history.
Tampa Bay Lightning
How crushing would a loss have been for the Lightning after they were shocked in the first round of last year’s playoffs in a sweep by the Blue Jackets and the fact that Tampa Bay largely dominated play Wednesday? The Lightning outshot Columbus 88-63, outhit the Jackets 59-46, won more face-offs and took fewer penalties. Brayden Point’s fourth goal of this postseason at 10:27 of the fifth OT was the winner. He also tied the game at 1-1 at 6:27 of the first. Yanni Gourde (first of postseason) tied it 2-2 at 0:23 of the third. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a team-record 61 saves.
Star defenceman Victor Hedman was in question after suffering an injury in the final game of the round robin but did play 57:38 and had an assist. Steven Stamkos, who missed all of the round robin with an undisclosed injury, did not play. The team continues to simply say Stamkos is out indefinitely.
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