Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens Prediction, NHL Odds
It’s the biggest game of the season so far for the Canadiens on Thursday night as they host the Tampa Bay Lightning with the winner still in solid shape to claim the Atlantic Division title. Montreal opened as slight underdogs on the NHL odds with a total of 6.5 goals.
Lightning vs. Canadiens NHL Betting Odds
Tampa Bay and Montreal both have clinched Eastern Conference playoff spots so that takes some pressure off, but the Atlantic Division title and potential home-ice advantage for at least the first two rounds of the playoffs is potentially at stake. Buffalo leads with 104 points and these two have 102. The current odds to win the division are: Sabres +110, Lightning +140 and Canadiens +475.
Metropolitan leader Carolina should finish with the most points in the East, so the Atlantic champion would only go on the road in the East playoffs to Raleigh in the conference finals. Head-to-head results unlike most sports are not the No. 1 post-season tiebreaker in the NHL but is on the list.
The Lightning would claim the season series with a victory because they lead 2-1 – winning both in the 2025 portion — but did lose the last one, 4-1 in Tampa on March 31. Potential Hart Trophy and Art Ross Trophy winner Nikita Kucherov (3G, 1A) leads the Lightning with four points in the season series, while likely Vezina winner Andrei Vasilevskiy lost his lone start in net, and backup Jonas Johansson won both his. Juraj Slafkovsky (3G, 2A) leads Montreal with five points. Jakub Dobes split his two decisions in net, and Jacob Fowler lost his.
Overall, Tampa Bay is 7-3 in the past 10 regular-season meetings and the over-under is 8-2.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Tampa Bay is 0-2 on this four-game road trip after falling 6-2 in Ottawa on Tuesday in the second of a back-to-back – a huge two points for the Senators as they chase a playoff spot. They caught a break facing Lightning backup goalie Jonas Johansson and with two key forwards out in Brandon Hagel (73 points) and Anthony Cirelli (52 points).
Not clear on either returning from injury Thursday, but it certainly should be back to No. 1 netminder and -220 Vezina favourite Andrei Vasilevskiy on Thursday. His road splits this season are a bit better than at home, going 15-5-3 with a 2.25 GAA and .913 SV.
Superstar Nikita Kucherov had an assist in Tuesday’s loss and sits at 127 points, six behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid for the NHL lead. Kucherov is three points shy of becoming the second player born outside North America to register multiple 130-point seasons alongside the Oilers’ Jari Kurri in the 1980s. The over is 7-1 in Tampa Bay’s past eight on the road.
Montreal Canadiens
Projected Montreal to beat visiting and eliminated Florida by a score of 4-2 on Tuesday and instead the Habs rallied for a 4-3 shootout win to get a crucial two points. It was nearly zero, but Nick Suzuki’s 28th goal of the season tied it at 3-3 with only 21 seconds left in regulation. It was the Canadiens’ third-latest game-tying goal of the season.
Cole Caufield did score in the shootout but remains one goal shy of 50 on the season and is scoreless in three straight games for the first time since posting four in a row Jan. 8-12. Forwards Kirby Dach and Alexandre Texier returned to the lineup off injuries – Texier also scored in the shootout.
Jakub Dobes made 30 saves for his sixth consecutive win but that should mean it’s Jacob Fowler’s turn Thursday as they have been rotating. Fowler is 3-4-0 on home ice with a 2.34 GAA after losing Sunday vs. New Jersey. Montreal is 8-1 in its past nine vs. Eastern Conference foes.
