Lightning vs. Blue Jackets Game 3 Prediction, Stanley Cup Playoff Odds
The Lightning are favoured on the NHL odds to take a 2-1 series lead.
Lightning vs. Blue Jackets NHL Playoff Odds
This will be the first “home” game of the series for Columbus, which means the home uniforms and, more importantly, the last line change off a stoppage of play. With a 3-1 upset victory in Game 2, the Blue Jackets are trying to win back-to-back games for the first time in the restart, alternating wins and losses in their first seven. The Lightning look to avoid back-to-back losses for the first time in the restart.
The most recent time that Tampa Bay was tied 1-1 in a playoff series, it was the 2018 Eastern semifinals vs. Boston and the Bolts won that in five games. Columbus was tied 1-1 with the Bruins in last year’s conference semifinals and lost that in six.
Tampa Bay is the -260 favourite with Columbus at +194.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay was the highest-scoring team in the league during the regular season but has struggled offensively in the restart as the team clearly misses sniper Steven Stamkos, who has yet to play due to an undisclosed injury. The team is being purposely vague about what is ailing Stamkos and when he might return. Nikita Kucherov had the lone goal in Thursday’s 3-1 loss, his second of the restart, to give his team a 1-0 lead at 5:24 of the first, but that was it.
Brayden Point, who had the winning goal in the Game 1 five-overtime epic, had one of the helpers Thursday and became the fourth player in franchise history to post at least one point in each of Tampa Bay’s first five-plus games of a postseason. Kucherov and Stamkos also both did it in 2018 and Brad Richards in 2006. Andrei Vasilevskiy surrendered three goals on 22 shots Thursday.
Columbus Blue Jackets
The Blue Jackets were on their heels early in Game 2 but got goals from Ryan Murray (first of restart) at 12:52 of the first and Oliver Bjorkstrand (second) on the power play at 18:35 of the period to take a lead they wouldn’t relinquish. Alexander Wennberg (second) essentially clinched it at 11:27 of the third. Pierre-Luc Dubois had two assists.
Bettors may want to considering wagering on a Bjorkstrand goal-scoring prop for Game 3. The right wing has now scored in four consecutive postseason games against the Lightning dating to last year. It was also Bjorkstrand’s third career game-winning goal in the playoffs, a franchise record. All have come against Tampa Bay. After facing an NHL record 88 shots in Game 2, the Jackets gave no thought to perhaps resting netminder Joonas Korpisalo on Thursday and he was brilliant again in stopping 36 shots.
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