Lightning vs. Devils: Game 4 Prediction, NHL Playoff Odds
The Devils were a totally different team in Game 3 to upset the Eastern Conference top-seeded Lightning. Game 4 is in Newark on Wednesday as the Devils look to even this first-round series at 2-2. In my opinion, this will be the final home game of the season for the No. 8 seed New Jersey Devils if they don’t win to even their first-round series vs. No. 1 Tampa Bay at 2-2 – then, a Game 6 would be assured back in Newark.
Lightning vs Devils Stanley Cup Playoffs Betting Analysis
Tampa Bay had been -2500 on the Sports Interaction series line before losing 5-2 in Game 3. Now the Lightning are -909, with New Jersey moving from +800 to +450. The favoured exact series result is still Tampa Bay in five, now priced at +150. New Jersey’s shortest odds are to win in seven at +750. The Lightning are still +225 leaders to win the East, while the Devils are +2000 long shots.
Betting on the home team is usually the way to go in this series. The home side has now won 17 of the past 22 meetings – and Tampa is just 5-17 in its past 22 in Newark too. The total has gone over in each game of this series so far with the winning team scoring five goals in each.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning’s main problem in Monday’s Game 3 matchup was that they took way too many penalties, which led to seven New Jersey power plays. The Devils only converted once but being down a man (or two) that frequently can lead to fatigue and other mistakes. Tampa Bay has been very good on the power play itself with five man-advantage goals. Both on Monday were on the PP: Alex Killorn with his fourth of the playoffs early in the second, and Steven Stamkos with his first to give Tampa a 2-1 lead less than 40 seconds into the third.
Killorn has joined former Lightning legend Vincent Lecavalier as the only players in franchise history with at least one goal in each of the team’s first three playoff games. Lecavalier did it the first four of the 2007 first round vs. the Devils. Nikita Kucherov added two assists in the loss and has six points in the series. Andrei Vasilevskiy allowed three goals on 39 shots. Winger Ryan Callahan missed Game 3 with an upper-body injury.
New Jersey Devils
This writer speculated that New Jersey coach John Hynes would go to Cory Schneider in net for Game 3 after he replaced an ineffective Keith Kinkaid in Game 2. That’s exactly what happened, and Schneider was great with 34 saves. It was his first victory since way back on Dec. 27, although the former starter did miss around six weeks soon after that due to injury. No question that Schneider starts again in Game 4. New Jersey’s best player also came up big in the victory as Taylor Hall was the No. 1 star with a goal and two assists. He assisted on both Will Butcher’s tying goal at 4:03 of the third and Stefan Noesen’s winner at 12:55.
