The Montreal Canadiens (23-29-9) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (32-25-6) on Saturday, March 2nd. 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 7:00 ET.

Canadiens vs Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

With a record of 23-29-9, the Canadiens are 7th in the Atlantic Division and 14th in the Eastern Conference. On the road this season, Montreal has gone 11-13-6, and they have lost four straight games away from home. Over their last ten games, the Canadiens have gone just 2-8.

As the underdog, Montreal has gone 19-28-9 this season, and they have lost four straight games overall. In the Eastern Conference, the Canadiens have gone 12-22, and they are 1-4 in their last five games.

Montreal enters the game with an average scoring margin of -.8 goals per game, and they have been the underdog in 55 of their games this season. Overall, the Canadiens have gone 37-18 vs. the puck line as the underdog.

So far, Montreal has 15 wins by one goal and eight wins by multiple goals. Their average scoring margin on the road is -.8 goals per game, and they have gone 19-10 vs. the puck line in road games.

Following a 4-3 loss on the road to the Panthers, the Canadiens are eager to bounce back. In all three periods, the Canadiens’ offense found the net against the Panthers. Of Montreal’s three goals, one came while in power play. They ended the game with 31 shots on goal and had eight giveaways.

Montreal went into the game as the underdogs, but they still managed to cover the puck line despite the loss. The combined total of 7 goals exceeded the over/under line, which was set at 6 goals for the game.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

At home this season, the Lightning have gone 18-9-4, and they have won just two of their last ten games. In the Eastern Conference standings, Tampa Bay is in 7th place, and in the Atlantic Division, they are in 5th place. Overall, the Lightning have a record of 32-25-6, and they have gone 16-19 against Eastern Conference opponents.

Over their last ten games, Tampa Bay has gone 5-5, and they have lost their last two games. As the favorite this season, the Lightning have gone 22-13-2, and they have lost their last two games as the favorite. At home, Tampa Bay has lost four straight games.

On the season, the Lightning have gone 31-31 against the puck line, and they have an average scoring margin of .0 goals per game. So far, Tampa Bay has won 23 games by multiple goals, and they have lost 22 games by more than one goal.

At home, the Lightning are 17-13 against the puck line, and their average scoring margin is +.6 goals per game. In their last ten games at home, Tampa Bay has gone 5-5 against the puck line.

Following a 3-2 loss at home to the Sabres, the Lightning are eager to bounce back. In the offensive department, the Lightning notched one goal during the first period and one time in the second period. Out of Tampa Bay’s two goals, one were scored during power plays. They concluded the game with 23 shots on goal and had four giveaways.

In this game, Tampa Bay was favored by -1.5, but they suffered a loss against the puck line. The game ended below the over/under line of 6.5, with a combined total of 5 goals.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

The Canadiens come into the game scoring an average of 2.8 goals per game, putting them 27th in the NHL. Regarding shots targeted at the goal per game, they are 27th in the league. This year, the Canadiens have recorded a 5-7 record in games where they outshoot their opponent. For games with fewer shots on goal, they have a 18-21 record.

The Canadiens’ over/under record this season is 31-27-2. For the season, they have had 31 games that surpassed this game’s over/under line of 6.5. Overall, their games are averaging6.4 goals per game.

Lightning Offense Breakdown

On offense, the Lightning are averaging 3.4 goals per game which is 6th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 18th in the league. Looking at how the Lightning’s offense is performing during power plays, they are 1st in power play goals and 29th in shorthanded goals.

This season, the Lightning’s have an over/under record of 28-30-4. Throughout the season, they have played 32 games that did not exceed the 6.5 over/under line. On average, their games are averaging 6.8 goals per game.

Montreal Team Defense

The Canadiens defense is currently 3rd in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 33.2 shots per game against Montreal. In terms of shutouts, they come into the game ranked 27th with 1 shutouts.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning come into the season ranked 16th in goals allowed. Opponents are averaging 29.4 shots per game against Tampa Bay. For the season, they are ranked 15th in shutouts, coming in with 3 shutouts.

Canadiens vs Lightning Trends

• Across their last five road contests, Montreal has a 3-2 record vs the spread. Their overall mark in these games was 1-4, while averaging 3 goals per game.
• When looking at their past ten home matchups, Tampa Bay has an puck line record of 5-5 while averaging 4 per game. The team went 6-4 overall in these games.
• Spanning across their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Lightning have gone 5-5 vs the spread. Their overall record in these games was 4-6.
• In their last ten games as the betting favorite, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 6-4 and an puck line mark of 3-7.

Canadiens vs Lightning Prediction

If you’re considering a direct moneyline bet, the Lightning is the choice to make. However, with a payout of -246, you might want to use this bet as a building block for a parlay.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Canadiens to cover. Even in the event of a Lightning victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Canadiens should 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.