Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Game 1 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds
The Canadiens return to the postseason for a second straight season after closing out their best campaign in a decade deadlocked with Tampa Bay in the Atlantic Division standings with 106 points. However, the Habs fell short on tiebreakers, giving the Lightning home-ice advantage in this rematch of the 2021 Stanley Cup Final.
The Lightning have emerged as clear -181 favourites on the NHL Game 1 odds, while the Canadiens trail as +155 underdogs. Tampa Bay also leads the way as big -239 chalk on the NHL series prices, while the Habs lag as a lengthy +195 bet. The total for Sunday’s Game 1 matchup is pegged at 6.
Habs vs. Lightning NHL Playoff Betting Odds
These clubs split four games during the regular season, with the Habs claiming victory in their past two meetings while limiting the Lightning to just two total goals, capped by a 2-1 win in Montreal on April 9. However, the Lightning have held the upper hand when facing the Canadiens in the playoffs, claiming victory in three of four payoff series matchups, capped by their win in five games in the 2021 Cup Final. In addition to sitting perched as clear favourites to knock off the Canadiens in the first round, the Lightning also sit among the favourites on the NHL futures.
Tampa Bay joins Carolina as a +225 co-favourite to win the East, and trails only Colorado as a +500 wager on the Stanley Cup odds. Despite their strong finish to the regular season, the Habs sit well off the pace in NHL futures betting as a +1100 bet to win the East and a +2500 wager to raise the Cup for the first time since 1993. However, Montreal’s strong stretch run cannot be overlooked. The Habs cemented a playoff berth with wins in 11 of their final 14 contests and were tops in the Eastern Conference with a 24-9-8 road record. Conversely, the Lightning struggled to find consistency down the stretch, compiling a middling 13-12-2 record since the Olympic break including a 7-5-1 mark on home ice.
Montreal Canadiens
The Canadiens return to Cup contention has been powered by the emergence of three legit superstars. Cole Caufield joined the ranks of the NHL’s elite goalscorers while becoming the first Habs shooter to pot 50 goals since 1989. Team captain Nick Suzuki found a higher gear after suiting up for Team Canada at the Olympics, piling 11 goals and 26 assists since the break to finish the campaign with 101 points, and also recorded a point per game versus Tampa this season. Lane Hutson has built on a sensational rookie campaign with 12 goals and 66 assists, but picked up just one helper in four appearances against the Bolts this season. While the Habs have demonstrated their ability to put the biscuit in the basket, their playoff success will also hinge on the steady play of Jakub Dobes. The second-year netminder has exceeded expectations this season while compiling a 29-10-4 record, 2.78 goals against average, and .901 save percentage. In addition to compiling an 11-5-0 record since the break, Dobes has also limited Tampa shooters to just five total goals while going 2-1-0 in three matchups this season.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Nikita Kucherov has enjoyed another huge campaign that has landed him in thick of the race to claim Hart Trophy honours. The shifty Russian finished the regular season trailing only Connor McDavid with 130 points, and was particularly productive on the road, where he generated almost two points per game with 28 goals and 47 assists in 39 appearances. Jake Guentzel is also coming off a big season, piling up a career-high 88 points. It has also been a breakthrough season for veteran defenceman Darren Raddysh, matched his point total for the past two seasons combined with 22 goals and 70 points in 73 games including three goals in four dates with the Habs.
