Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Carolina Hurricanes Game 5 Prediction, Playoff Odds
The defending champs scored four straight goals to increase their series lead to 3-1. Since hiring coach Rod Brind’Amour 2018 the Canes are 2-2 in a win-or-go-home situation.
Lightning vs. Hurricanes Stanley Cup Odds
The defending Stanley Cup champions in Tampa Bay will be the -126 favourite to send Carolina packing Tuesday night. The always rocking PNC Arena will try and power their Hurricanes to fight another day. The Lightning took the first two games in Raleigh where the Canes had a 20-3-5 record this regular season.
The over/under is at 5.5 for Game 5, just like it has been all series. They played the over on Saturday for only the second time in the past 14 meetings. After defensive hockey through the first three games of the series, both offences exploded for a combined eight goals in the second period alone in Game 4.
Tampa Bay covered the spread Saturday for the third time in the series and the sixth so far this postseason. Their opponents in Carolina have been cursed against the spread losing seven of their past eight in that column. Game 4 was the first one to be decided by more than just a goal, proving how tight it has been.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Whether it is a defensive battle or a high-scoring shootout, the Tampa Bay Lightning have had an answer for everything the Hurricanes threw at them.
They out-defended them in Games 1 and 2, holding them to a single goal in both games. The Canes managed to steal three, then Tampa scored four straight goals to come back and beat them in Game 4.
Nikita Kucherov and Steven Stamkos led the way with two goals and an assist each to solidify themselves as the league’s first and second-leading scorers respectably. Kucherov has been on a tear since returning to the lineup for Game 1 versus Florida, scoring 17 points in 10 games.
Andrei Vasilevskiy carried his team through the first three games of the series posting a 0.949 save percentage and 1.67 goals-against average. He was not good through the first half of Game 4, allowing four goals before the halfway point but bounced back to shut them out for the third.
Defenceman David Savard played his first game of the series Saturday taking the place of Luke Schenn. Savard played in the first round but was sidelined with an injury since Game 1.
Carolina Hurricanes
The Carolina Hurricanes have their backs against the wall down 3-1 in the series after blowing a 4-2 lead late in the second period. They now face the tall task of beat the Lightning three times in a row, but what seems improbable happened just a week ago in the North division when the Canadiens came back to beat the Leafs.
Rookie goalie Alex Nedeljkovic who started the first games of the series is expected to get his net back for Game 5 after the Lightning scored six on Petr Mrazek. Nedeljkovic is 4-4 with a .920 save percentage and a 2.18 goals-against average, plus he held the Lightning to only two goals in Games 1 and 2.
Andrei Svechnikov picked up a pair of assists in Saturday’s loss, but that wasn’t enough to save him as his six penalty minutes stood out like a sore thumb. The Canes gave Tampa’s deadly powerplay five chances and they scored on three of them. With so many key forwards injured right now, the Canes must-have cooler heads if they expect to come back.
