John Cooper challenged his Tampa Bay Lightning to be better in every facet of the game after a woeful Game 3 performance against the Detroit Red Wings. They responded in kind with a 3-2 win which was probably a bit more lopsided than the final score suggested in Game 4, and they've now got a chance to kill off this series on Thursday night at home.
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ODDS ANALYSIS
Tampa Bay was favored by very similar margins of -157 and -153 at home in Games 1 and 2 respectively, and we wonder if the number is going to be bigger than that now that the Red Wings are in so much trouble. The Bolts have been dominant at home this year, now going 27-13-1-2 in their 43 games, and you can bet that Amalie Arena is going to be rocking, especially with as physical as this series has been from start to finish.
This series has actually trended on the higher side. The over and under are both only 1-1-2, and surely, the number to beat will once again be set at a flat 5.
GOALIE REPORT
At this point, the Red Wings are pretty much stuck with Petr Mrazek in net. Mrazek wasn't terrible in Game 4, stopping 30-of-33 shots, but he was clearly the lesser of the two goalies.
Mrazek hasn't played yet in this series in Tampa, as he was left on the bench in favor of the veteran, Jimmy Howard for Games 1 and 2. That said, when Detroit was faced with a 2-0 deficit going back home, it elected to put Mrazek back in the pipes.
Last season in the playoffs, Mrazek did post two shutouts of the Lightning in that seven-game series.
Ben Bishop won't get all of the credit he deserves, but he's been really special in this series without having any completely dominating performances. He's made some outstanding stops and allowed some really quirky goals, but in the end, he's still given up exactly two strikes in all four games and five in a row dating back to the regular season.
When Bishop is on his game, he's as good as any goalie in the league, and the fact that he hasn't really heated up yet is what should have the rest of the East on notice.
LIVE BETTING
The one thing Cooper won't like to see is the fact that, outside of his superstars, the Lightning haven't produced a ton of goals. That said, when you've got Nikita Kucherov, do you really need any more help than that?
Kuch was fantastic again in Game 4, scoring two goals and assisting on the third, and he now has five goals and three helpers in the four games in this series. The Red Wings didn't allow Kucherov to score a goal in their seven-gamer with Tampa Bay last year, but this time around, there's nothing they can do to stop No. 86.
QUICK PICK
If this game was merely just a pick 'em, we'd be on Tampa's side all day long. Clearly, the Lightning are finishing off this series in five more often than not.
That said, in the gambling world, you've got to find good value, and here, we've got really good value in the visitors. The Red Wings are going to be about as sharp as it gets this time of year.
Playoff games are notorious for being close, and the one thing this series has missed thus far is a game in overtime. If the Red Wings get it that far on Thursday night, we've already gotten plenty of value. We'll take our chances with Detroit keeping this series alive, though do keep in mind that this is a play of value more than a play of prognostication.
NHL Odds: Red Wings 4, Lightning 3
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Mobile betting lines are updated by the minute, so click here to start gambling on thrilling live action at BookMaker Sportsbook! Game 5 of this series between the Detroit Red Wings and the Tampa Bay Lightning will commence on Thursday, April 21, 2016 at 7:00 p.m. ET at Amalie Arena. The contest will be broadcast nationally on USA.
