The Montreal Canadiens (15-17-3) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (20-11-2) on Sunday, December 29th. This game will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa and televised on ESPN+. Both the Canadiens and Lightning will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 5:00 ET.

Canadiens vs Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped them to 15-17-3 on the season. The Canadiens were underdogs on the puck line, and the total was set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 fell short of that number.

All of Pittsburgh’s goals came before Montreal got on the board in the third period. Christian Dvorak scored the Canadiens’ lone goal at 14:28 in the third, but the Penguins added an empty-netter to seal the win.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Following a 7-4 loss to the Jets, the Lightning’s record is now 20-11-2. Tampa Bay’s defense struggled, giving up four goals in the third period. The total for the game was set at 6.5 goals, but the teams combined for 11.

Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and they failed to cover. They initially led 2-0, but the Jets responded with seven of the next nine goals.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

Montreal registered 26 shots on goal but only found the net once in their 3-1 loss to Pittsburgh. Christian Dvorak scored his first goal of the season at 14:28 in the third period, following a 2-0 deficit. Emil Heineman, with his first assist, and Juraj Slafkovsky, who now has 7 assists, contributed on Dvorak’s goal.

The Canadiens struggled with 20 giveaways and were shut out until the third period. They failed to capitalize on any power play opportunities.

Lightning Offense Breakdown

Brandon Hagel opened the scoring for the Lightning with his 7th goal of the season, while Brayden Point added his 8th on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee netted his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov scored for the 10th time this year.

The Lightning fired 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. They finished with 4 assists, including Jake Guentzel’s 8th and Nick Paul’s 7th.

Montreal Team Defense

Montreal’s defense gave up the first two goals in their last game, one at 15:57 in the first period and another at 18:40 in the second. The Canadiens closed the gap to 2-1 in the third, but they allowed an empty-net goal with 45 seconds left, leading to a 3-1 loss. Goalie Sam Montembeault made 21 saves with a 91.3% save percentage, while the defense recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

After tying the game at 4-4 in the 3rd period, Tampa Bay’s defense struggled, giving up three late goals to the Jets. The first came at the 7:38 mark, followed by two empty-netters. The Lightning also allowed the first three goals of the 2nd period. Goalie Jonas Johansson finished with a save percentage of 84.4% on 32 shots from Winnipeg.

Canadiens vs Lightning Trends

• Through their last ten road games, Montreal has an puck line record of just 6-4. However, their overall record was 4-6 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• In their last ten games at home, the Lightning have a straight up record of 6-4 while going 6-4 vs. the spread. The team averaged 4 goals per game in this stretch.
• Going back to their previous five games as the underdog, Tampa Bay has an puck line mark of 3-2 while going 2-3 straight up.
• Going back to their last ten games as the favorite, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 9-1. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 5-5.

Canadiens vs Lightning Prediction

If you’re looking for a moneyline pick, my choice is the Canadiens to take down the Lightning on the road. With the moneyline currently at +212, I’m placing my bet on the Canadiens straight-up.

If you’re looking to get a bet down on this matchup, we foresee the Canadiens winning the underdog. However, if you’re not as confident in the Canadiens straight-up, we’d still recommend placing a bet on them to cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 6.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.