- Matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens
- Date: Thursday, April 9, 2026
- Venue: Bell Centre, Montreal, QC
- Broadcast: TSN2
This page may include affiliate links at no extra cost to you, thanks for your support.
On Thursday, the Montreal Canadiens (45-22-10) will host the Tampa Bay Lightning (48-22-6) at the Bell Centre.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are looking to rebound after their recent 4-2 defeat against the Sabres. Offensively, they struggled, managing to score just 2 goals from 25 shots on goal. Additionally, they had 5 power play opportunities but converted only once, while spending 12 minutes in the penalty box during that match.
Opponents have recorded 237 power play chances against the Lightning (5th in the league), netting 42 goals during these situations. The Lightning’s defense has faced 2,033 shots against, achieving a save percentage of .897. Offensively, Tampa Bay has taken 2,155 shots with a shooting percentage of 12.7%. At even strength, they have surrendered 167 goals while scoring 223. With 230 power play opportunities, they’ve scored 50 goals, marking a conversion rate of 21.74%. This season, Tampa Bay has earned 102 points, resulting in a points percentage of .671. They currently rank 3rd in the league with 273 goals scored, having allowed 209.
In goal for this match will be Andrei Vasilevskiy. Over his NHL career, he has faced 1,458 goals, holding a goals against average of 2.50. Vasilevskiy has played 594 games in the NHL, boasting a save percentage of .917 across 28,753 minutes on the ice. His career record stands at 368 wins, 176 losses, and 39 overtime losses, with 584 starts to his name. To date, he has logged 344 quality starts, giving him a quality start percentage of .589. He has faced 17,488 shots and made 16,030 saves.
In contrast, the Montreal Canadiens faced the Devils in their most recent game, suffering a 3-0 defeat. They failed to capitalize on 4 power play chances and could only generate 18 shots on goal without scoring.
This season, the Montreal Canadiens have scored 266 goals and earned 100 points, resulting in a points percentage of .649. Defensively, they have allowed 237 goals, comprising of 184 even strength goals and 53 shorthanded goals. When playing at even strength, they netted 213 goals and ranked 9th in power play performance with 53 goals from 222 opportunities, achieving a 23.87% success rate. Montreal has taken 2,030 shots (23rd in the league) with a shooting percentage of 13.10% while allowing 2,141 shots against. Their penalty kill rate stands at 77.54% against 236 power play opportunities, with a current save percentage of 88.9%.
Guarding the net for Montreal will be Jakub Dobes. He boasts a career save rate of .905, having made 1,374 saves from 1,518 shots. Dobes has a professional record of 34 wins, 12 losses, and 7 overtime losses, appearing in 55 games with 53 starts and a total playing time of 943 minutes. His quality starts percentage over his career is 62.3%, with 33 quality starts to his name. Opponents are averaging 2.72 goals per game against him, with a total of 144 goals conceded.
Who will emerge victorious in this NHL matchup—against the spread or moneyline?
Prediction: Opt for Montreal
Some links on this page are affiliate links. If you sign up or make a purchase through them, we may earn a small commission always at no extra cost to you. Thanks for helping us keep this site running.
