Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens NHL Betting Prediction

NHL Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens Prediction 1/21/2025

The Tampa Bay Lightning (25-17-3) travel to face off against the Montreal Canadiens (23-19-4) on Tuesday, January 21st. This game will be played at Bell Centre in Montreal and televised on ESPN+. Both the Lightning and Canadiens will be looking to bounce back from losses in their previous games. Puck drop is scheduled for 7:00 ET.

Lightning vs Canadiens

tampa bay lightning nhl

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Tampa Bay fell to 25-17-3 after a 7-4 loss to the Jets. The Lightning, as underdogs on the puck line, gave up the game’s last three goals. The total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5.

The Lightning had a 2-0 lead in the first period, but the Jets tied it up by the 14:11 mark of the second period. Tampa Bay managed to tie the game again at 4-4 in the third, but Winnipeg pulled away with three unanswered goals, including two empty-netters.

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Montreal’s 3-1 loss to the Penguins dropped their record to 23-19-4. The Canadiens entered the game as underdogs on the puck line, with the total set at 6.5 goals, but the combined score of 4 fell short of that mark.

Christian Dvorak scored Montreal’s only goal at 14:28 in the third period, cutting the deficit to 2-1. The Penguins sealed the win with an empty-netter at 19:15 in the third.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

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

Tampa Bay took 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. The Lightning scored twice in the 1st period, added another in the 2nd, and tied the game 4-4 with 13:09 left in the 3rd period.

Canadiens Offense Breakdown

montreal canadiens

Montreal’s offense was limited to just one goal in their latest game, with Christian Dvorak finding the net for the first time this season. The Canadiens registered 26 shots on goal but were unable to score until the third period, when Dvorak scored 5:32 into the period.

Emil Heineman picked up his first assist of the season on Dvorak’s goal, while Juraj Slafkovsky added his 7th assist. The Canadiens struggled with giveaways, recording 20 in the game.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, the Lightning struggled late, giving up three goals to the Jets in the 3rd period, including two empty-netters. Goalie Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with a save percentage of 84.4%. Tampa Bay’s defense recorded 6 takeaways and 16 hits.

Montreal Team Defense

Defensively, the Canadiens will look to bounce back after giving up the opening two goals in their previous game against the Penguins. The first came 15:57 into the first period, and the second was a power-play goal late in the second. Montreal had cut the lead to 2-1 in the third, but they conceded an empty-netter with 45 seconds remaining. Sam Montembeault made 21 saves, posting a 91.3% save percentage. The Canadiens’ defense also recorded 4 takeaways and 28 hits.

Lightning vs Canadiens Trends

  • Across their three previous road games, Tampa Bay has an puck line mark of 1-2. Their straight up record in these matchups was 1-2 while averaging 3 goals per game.
  • In their last three home games, Montreal has averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 4. The team’s record in this stretch was 1-2 while going 2-1.
  • In their last ten games as the betting underdog, the Canadiens have a straight up record of 8-2 and an puck line mark of 9-1.
  • In their last three contests as the favorite, Tampa Bay has a poor record vs the puck line going 1-2. But, they still put together a straight up mark of 2-1.

Lightning vs Canadiens Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Canadiens to defeat the Lightning while playing at home. Given the current moneyline odds at +121, I’m placing a wager on the Canadiens to win outright.

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.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 6 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.


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


* 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.