The Montreal Canadiens (15-15-5) travel to face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (17-15-5) on Sunday, December 31st. This game will be played at Amalie Arena in Tampa. 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.

Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning

The Montreal Canadiens Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

This season, the Canadiens currently hold an overall record of 15-15-5. When playing on the road, Montreal has a 8-6-3 record, while they are 7-9-2 at home. Their current record places them 6th in the Eastern Atlantic division and 13th in the Eastern conference. Montreal’s average scoring margin this season is -0.6 leading to an overall puck line record of 21-14. Their scoring margin at home is -0.8 and -0.4 on the road.

Following a 4-1 loss on the road to the Panthers, the Canadiens are eager to bounce back. In terms of offense, the Canadiens faced a dry spell in the first and third periods against the Panthers, but they managed to score one time in the second period. During power plays, the team scored one goal. In total, they recorded 19 shots on goal and had 5 giveaways.

Montreal entered as the underdog and suffered both a straight-up loss and did not cover the puck line. Combining for 5 goals, the game finished below the over/under line of 6.5.

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

As they head into their game vs. the Canadiens, the Lightning have a 17-15-5 record thus far. While playing at home, their record stands at 10-5-3, and they have 7-10-2 mark on the road. In the Eastern Atlantic division, they are currently 4th, and in the Eastern conference, they come into the game sitting 10th. Looking at Tampa Bay’s average scoring margin, it is -0.2, which has led to a puck line record of 18-19. When playing at home, their scoring margin is +.6, and on the road, it is -0.9.

The Lightning aim to bounce back following their 5-1 loss at home to the Rangers. In terms of offense, the Lightning faced a dry spell in the first and third periods against the Rangers, but they managed to score one time in the second period. Their one goal came during a power play situation. In total, they took 35 shots on goal and had 8 giveaways.

Tampa Bay went into the game favored by -1.5, giving them a loss vs. the puck line. The game concluded with 6 goals, resulting in a push on the over/under.

Montreal Offense Breakdown

For their offensive performance, the Canadiens come in averaging 2.7 goals per game this season, which is 28th in the NHL. In the category of shots on goal per game, they are 26th in the league. Coming into the game, the Canadiens have 4-2 record when they have more shots on goal than their opponent. When they have fewer shots on goal, they are 11-13.

The Canadiens’ over/under record this season is 17-17-1. For the season, they have had 18 games failing to surpass this game’s over/under line of 6.5. Overall, their games are averaging 6.3 goals per game.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

On offense, the Lightning are averaging 3.2 goals per game which is 7th in the NHL. In terms of shots on goal per game, they are 9th in the league. Tampa Bay’s offense is currently ranked 1st in power play goals. When it comes to shorthanded goals, they are 30th in the league.

The Lightning’s over/under record this season is 16-18-3. For the season, they have had 19 games failing to surpass this game’s over/under line of 6.5. Overall, their games are averaging 6.7 goals per game.

Montreal Team Defense

Coming into the game, the Canadiens’ defense is 31st in takeaways at 5 takeaways per contest. Overall, they are giving up 3.2 goals per game which is 4th in the NHL.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Tampa Bay defense takes on the Canadiens ranked 9th in goals allowed. On average, opponents are averaging 30.7 shots per game against Tampa Bay. They alsso are 5th in shutouts, with 3 shutouts.

Canadiens vs Lightning Trends

• Through their last ten road contests, the Canadiens offense has averaged 2 goals per game while allowing an average of 3. Montreal posted an overall record of 6-4 while going 6-4 ATS.
• Through their last three home games, Tampa Bay has an puck line record of just 1-2. However, their overall record was 2-1 while averaging 3 goals per game.
• Going back to their previous ten games as the underdog, Tampa Bay has an puck line mark of 6-4 while going 4-6 straight up.
• Over the team’s last five games as the favorite, the Canadiens struggled vs the puck line going just 2-3. However, they still had a straight up mark of 5-0.

Canadiens vs Lightning Prediction

When it comes to a moneyline wager, I’m going with the Canadiens to defeat the Lightning while playing on the road. Given the current moneyline odds at +191, I’m placing a wager on the Canadiens to win outright.

Our projections have the Canadiens pulling out a win as the underdog. But if you’re not as bullish as we are on the Canadiens, we’d recommend at least getting a bet down on them to cover the puck line.

With an over/under line sitting at 6.5 goals, we like this game to surpass that mark and recommend getting a bet down 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.