The Tampa Bay Lightning (57-27-3-5) have all of a sudden gotten a flair for the dramatics. They won Game 3 at 19:59 of the third period with a game-winning goal, and they are hoping to close out this series on Thursday night on a short turnaround time at home against the Montreal Canadiens (54-26-6-5).
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Lightning were short underdogs in both Games 1 and 2 in this series, and we suspect that they are going to be huge favorites in Game 4. Tampa Bay was set at -144 on Wednesday, a number which continued to rise from the day that it opened until the puck dropped, and after winning such an emotional game, we have to imagine that the short turnaround time is going to cause bettors to want to invest even more on the hosts.
GOALIE REPORT
It just wasn't Carey Price's day on Wednesday. He hasn't had a bad postseason at all, and he allowed just two goals on 19 shots in Game 3, but has been outdueled in a big time way by Ben Bishop.
Bishop was so sluggish against Detroit for the first five games of that series, but all of a sudden in Game 6, he was picked up in a huge way, and he has never looked back. Tampa's goalie now has five straight wins to his credit, and he has only allowed six goals in those five games.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"When we scored our goal that tied it up, they stopped sitting back as much and went a little bit more on the offensive. It came down to a good play by them." – Canadiens goalie Carey Price on how the Lightning won Game 3
SITUATIONAL BETTING
We alluded to the Lightning having a knack for dramatic finishes in this series, but they were fantastic in the third period in the regular season as well. Including the playoffs, no team in the NHL has more goals in the third period than does Tampa Bay, and after scoring four times in the third in the first two games of this series, we have no reason to believe that it won't happen again.
PROP TALK
Tyler Johnson is just all over the place for the Lightning, and he is playing a huge role in the playoffs. The argument could be made that right now, Johnson would be the Conn Smythe winner if the award was handed out, and for good reason.
He has a stunning eight goals and three assists in 10 playoff games, and he was the man who had the winner at the gun on Wednesday night as well. Johnson is definitely not a man to go against in prop betting.
ANALYSIS & PREDICTION
The Lightning are probably going to win this series. However, we still think that the Canadiens have some life in them, and the fact that they dominated a good 40 minutes of Game 3 from about halfway through the first period through the halfway point of the third period tells us that there is a possibility here for some success.
We expect to see Montreal have at least a bit of life in this game and do all that it can to get things back to the Bell Centre for Game 5, when all of a sudden, anything can happen.
Montreal 3, Tampa Bay 1
The NHL odds for this Thursday contest will be released first by BookMaker. Since this game can be seen by anyone with a TV, BookMaker will have a multitude of wagering options available for it. Outside of the normal lines, you can gamble on real-time odds and player props during the game. Live betting is open during every commercial break!
Access live betting lines from your mobile device or tablet at BookMaker Sportsbook! You can wager on sporting events as they unfold on television with BookMaker's live betting platform. Real-time spreads, totals, props and moneyline odds are all available by clicking here, so start betting with BookMaker today! The matchup between the Montreal Canadiens and the Tampa Bay Lightning will start at 7:00 p.m. ET on Thursday, May 7, 2015 at Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL. Game 4 of this series will be televised live on NBC Sports Network.
