NHL Puck Luck odds & picks: Stamkos injury stuns Lightning

Tampa Bay Lightning at Montreal Canadiens (-175, 5.5)

You just had to take one look at the Tampa Bay Lightning bench after Steven Stamkos broke his leg in Boston yesterday to get the whole story. Stamkos’ teammates sat there with blank stares on their faces, in disbelief of what had happened.

Stamkos wasn’t just Tampa Bay’s most talented player, but also one of the team’s most popular players, so it might take a while for the Lightning to regroup. Now they have a gaping hole down the middle of their lineup and play their second game in 36 hours.

Montreal is a tough place to play and the Canadiens have finally found a spark with three power play goals in the last two games.

Pick: Canadiens

Nashville Predators at New York Islanders (-130, 5.5)

Any coach can get over one blowout loss, but things get ugly when a club puts out two stinkers in a row. The Predators have been outscored 10-0 in their last two games and for a team that prides itself on defence, that is completely unacceptable.

Now that Pekka Rinne is on the shelf for a couple of weeks, the Predators need to give Carter Hutton some more help in the defensive zone. Expect a better effort here.

Pick: Predators

New Jersey Devils at New York Rangers (-165, 5)

The last time the Rangers and Devils squared off, New Jersey embarrassed New York 4-0. If you know anything about this rivalry, you know that won’t sit well with the Blueshirts. New York has its game back after that terrible road trip to begin the season.

The Rangers have won seven of their last eight, allowing more than two goals just once over that span. If you’re looking for a prop bet, Brad Richards at +252 to score anytime is worth a wager. He leads the Rangers with 60 shots (more than half of last season’s total) and 15 points.

Pick: Rangers