- Matchup: Tampa Bay Lightning vs Montreal Canadiens
- Date: Friday, April 24, 2026
- Venue: Bell Centre in Montreal, QC
- Broadcast: TNT
- Betting Odds: Lightning (-122) Canadiens (+102)
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The Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10) aim to claim victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning (50-26-6) at the Bell Centre on Friday in Game 3 of their playoff series, currently tied at 1-1. Betters will find the Lightning favored at -122 and the Canadiens at +102, with an over/under set at 5.5 goals.
In their last encounter, the Tampa Bay Lightning secured a 3-2 win against the Canadiens in Game 2. The Lightning’s offense showed moderate performance, managing to convert 3 out of 34 shots. Despite having 3 power play opportunities, they were unable to capitalize. Tampa Bay also racked up 27 penalty minutes during the match.
This season, Tampa Bay Lightning’s opponents have received 258 power play chances (3rd in the NHL), successfully scoring on 45 occasions. The Lightning have faced 2,188 shots on goal, boasting a .895 save percentage. On the offensive end, Tampa Bay has taken 2,305 shots with a shooting percentage of 12.4%. At even strength, they have allowed 184 goals while scoring 235 themselves. With 246 power plays, they have successfully converted 51 times, resulting in a 20.73% success rate. They currently hold 106 points with a points percentage of .646, netting 286 goals (4th in the league) and allowing 229 goals against them.
The starting goalie for this encounter will be Andrei Vasilevskiy. Throughout his NHL career, Vasilevskiy has faced 1,467 goals, maintaining a goals against average of 2.49. With 598 games under his belt, his career save percentage stands at .917 across 28,763 minutes played. His record includes 370 wins, 178 losses, and 39 overtime losses, having logged 588 starts, with 348 quality starts to his name, giving him a quality start percentage of .592. To date, he has faced 17,589 shots and recorded 16,122 saves.
The Canadiens will be looking to address some challenges following their Game 2 defeat. They managed 4 power play opportunities, converting 1 into a goal, and scored 2 goals from 27 shots on target.
This season, Montreal has taken 2,156 shots (ranked 24th in the league) with a shooting percentage of 12.94%, while they have allowed 2,283 shots against. Their penalty kill percentage stands at 78.23%, defending against 248 power plays, while their current save percentage is 89.0%. With 242 power play chances, they boast a power play success rate of 23.14%. In terms of scoring, the Canadiens have produced 223 goals at even strength and 56 during power plays (ranking 7th in the NHL). However, they have conceded a total of 251 goals, with 197 coming at even strength and 54 during penalty kills, finishing the season with 279 total goals and 106 points, resulting in a .646 points percentage.
Jakub Dobes will be in goal for Montreal, holding a career record of 36-14-7 across 59 games. His quality start percentage is 61.4%, with 35 quality starts. Dobes has made 1,470 saves out of 1,627 shots, achieving a .904 save percentage. His opponents average 2.75 goals per game, totaling 157 goals allowed. He has been a starting goalie in 57 games and has accumulated 953 minutes of ice time.
Who will emerge victorious in tonight’s NHL game, covering the spread or moneyline?
Pick: Take Tampa Bay (-122)
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