The Pittsburgh Penguins clearly have the depth, speed and size to win the Stanley Cup this year.
They've gone through the first two rounds of the postseason with relative ease against really good foes, but they're about to come up against their biggest challenge yet against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
NHL Playoff Odds at BookMaker.eu
Tampa Bay Lightning: +150 Pittsburgh Penguins: -170 Over/Under: 5 (Over -125)
ODDS ANALYSIS
The Penguins almost have to be the huge favorites in all of their home games in these playoffs. They've won their last four matches at the new Igloo. They're set at -170 in Game 1 of this series, a tremendous amount of chalk for any game this time of year.
The total in this series is starting at a flat 5, but if goals start hitting the board at a fast and furious pace as many believe could be the case, we could see 5.5s for the first time in any game since the beginning of the postseason.
GOALIE REPORT
Ben Bishop has been a rock for the Lightning in these playoffs. He's got a 1.89 GAA and a .938 save percentage in his 10 playoff starts, and he's led the Bolts to eight wins with two shutouts in this span.
Bishop has only allowed more than two goals twice in the playoffs, and if that keeps up in this game, Tampa Bay will have a great chance at an upset.
The Penguins have found a diamond in the rough in Matt Murray. He's still just a rookie, but he's hanging in there in the best way possible. He coughed up a three-goal lead in Game 6 against the Capitals just a few nights ago, but he was able to hold on in overtime to finish up that series.
No one could've ever imagined Murray posting a 7-2 record with a 2.05 GAA and a .935 save percentage. Marc-Andre Fleury is ready to return to the fold, but there's no way that coach Mike Sullivan is going to take his rook out of the pipes with the way he's playing.
LIVE BETTING
Would you believe that Sidney Crosby didn't score a single goal in the series against Washington? You'd think that would be a sure sign of death for the Pens, but kudos goes out to the rest of the depth of this team for really picking it up.
Just go up and down the Pittsburgh stat sheet from the opening two rounds of the second season. Phil Kessel has 12 points. Nick Bonino has 10, including the game-winner in overtime to end the series with the Capitals. Carl Hagelin has eight points. Trevor Daley has six, Matt Cullen five, a number also shared with Tom Kuhnhackl and Conor Sheary.
Who are these guys? If nothing else, they're the men who the Lightning have to be able to keep up with if they're going to win this game.
QUICK PICK
Though we aren't sure the Lightning are going to win this series, we love the value they present. We relate this to baseball. On most days, you'd think that the Oakland A's would be underdogs to say, the Toronto Blue Jays. However, if Sonny Gray is on the mound for Oakland, you could make the case for the A's to be the chalk.
In this case, you've got the "Sonny Gray" on the mound for Tampa in the form of Bishop, and you've got "random fifth starter" out there for Pittsburgh with Murray in the pipes. If Bishop is at his best on any given night, the Lightning are going to win in this series.
For a man who already has two shutouts in 10 games, we've got no problem backing the Bolts at a fantastic price of +150.
NHL Odds: Lightning 2, Penguins 1
Load your betting bankroll from your smartphone or tablet with BookMaker's new cashier feature! Depositing and withdrawing funds from your account has never been easier. BookMaker's live betting platform means you always have access to odds and lines to every sporting event. Click here, and start wagering today! Game 1 of this series between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Pittsburgh Penguins will commence on Friday, May 13, 2016 at 8:00 p.m. ET at the CONSOL Energy Center. The contest will be broadcast nationally on NBC Sports Network.
