The Montreal Canadiens and Tampa Bay Lightning meet tonight in Game 2 of their opening-round series in the NHL Playoffs. Puck drop is set for 7 p.m. ET on ESPN2.
The Canadiens pulled the upset in Game 1 on Sunday. Juraj Slafkovsky scored in overtime to record a hat trick in the 4-3 win.
For tonight, Tampa Bay is a -192 home favorite on the moneyline with a total of 5.5 at DraftKings. 76% of bets and 83% of tickets are on the Lightning.
Top Player Props for Canadiens vs. Lightning
Expecting Tampa Bay to bounce back, we’ve got three player props for Lightning players and one for the Canadiens.
Andrei Vasilevskiy OVER 21.5 Saves (-110)
Andrei Vasilevskiy was the top goalie among all playoff teams entering the postseason. He finished the regular season with a 2.33 goals against average, ranking second behind only Colorado’s Scott Wedgewood (2.07).
But Wedgewood had never started an NHL playoff game until Sunday’s 2-1 win over the Kings. All this to say that we expect the veteran Vasilevskiy to revert to form tonight. The two-time Stanley Cup winner finished with just 15 saves in the opener.
Nikita Kucherov OVER 1.5 Points (+105)
Nikita Kucherov amassed 130 points during the regular season, ranking second in the NHL behind Edmonton’s Connor McDavid.
Kucherov continued his elite production in Game 1 with a pair of assists. He was also highly active with five shots on goal.
In a game Tampa Bay should dictate against Montreal’s young defense, it’s not a big ask for Kucherov to bag a pair of points.
Jake Guentzel OVER 2.5 Shots (-150)
Not overly thrilled with this price, but Jake Guentzel helps Kucherov in generating sustained pressure for the Bolts.
Guentzel registered four shots on goal in Game 1. He’s also eclipsed this number in four of his last six games, with one of those also coming against Montreal at the end of the regular season. He had four shots that night, too.
Juraj Slafkovsky Anytime Goal Scorer (+195)
We’re not sure why Slafkovsky is still priced this high based on his prolific scoring ways against Tampa Bay.
It isn’t just Sunday’s hat trick, either, as the talented left winger amassed four goals in four regular season-games against Tampa Bay.
Then, he peppered Lightning goalie Vasilevskiy with a game-high seven shots on goal in the playoff opener. Given his ability to create high-danger chances, expect him to strike at least once tonight.
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