The Montreal Canadiens are on a Cinderella run in the 2021 NHL Playoffs, and they will look to complete their fairy tale ride, as they face the Tampa Bay Lightning in the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. The Habs have turned it on in the postseason, upsetting all their last three series opponents, but do they have enough in the tank to take down the defending Stanley Cup champions, the Tampa Bay Lightning?

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Canadiens vs. Lightning Game 2 Information

• When: Wednesday, June 30, 2021, 8:00 PM ET
• Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa, Florida
• TV: NBCSN, CBC, SN, TVAS
• Radio: TSN 690 AM (Canadiens) // AM 970 WFLA (Lightning)
• Live Stream: NHL Live
• NHL Betting Odds: Tampa Bay Lightning (-200) / OU: 5.0

Why Bet on the Montreal Canadiens?

After Game 1, it’s clear what the Canadiens have to work on to even out the series. They hold a 10-2 record when holding opponents to two goals and under so they have to be more active on the defensive side. Although they started strong and were only trailing by a goal at the start of the third period, they had no answer to the Bolts’ relentless offense in the final stage.

More than that, if they do put in place proper defensive measures, they will need to produce more offensive threats. Tyler Toffoli led Montreal with 28 goals in the regular season, but failed to find the back of the net for five straight games and running. They only recorded 19 shots in Game 1 with their only marker coming off a deflection that went off the skate of their opponents.

Nevertheless, there are positive takeaways from Game 1, including Josh Anderson’s play that thrived in physicality, as he came up with eight hits. This is something that they should bring into the next game. The Canadiens lost Game 1 to the Golden Knights but were able to bounce back to win the series.

Why Bet on the Tampa Bay Lightning?

The Lightning put on an offensive masterclass on Monday night. Nikita Kucherov appears to be way over the hip he injured during the New York Islanders series in the previous round. At the time of this writing, the 28-year-old winger leads the scoring in the playoffs.

Kucherov put two in the back of the net while Steven Stamkos lit the lamp in the series opener of the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. Providing the rest of the team with chances was Brayden Point, who dished out three assists.

Since the start of the postseason, Tampa Bay has recorded at least five goals in a game six times, pushing up their average to 3.32 goals per game. Moreover, the entire lineup stays active on the ice making it tougher to match up against them. As it stands, the Lightning recorded four straight wins at home outscoring opponents 18-3. The Canadiens will have to thread the needle if they want to get past the Lightning in front of their home crowd.

Canadiens vs. Lightning Betting Trends

• The Canadiens are 3-2 in their last 5 away games.
• The Canadiens conceded 5 goals twice in their last 10 away games.
• The totals have gone over in 4 of the Canadiens’ last 10 away games.
• The Lightning are 4-1 in their last 5 home games.
• The Lightning conceded 0 goals in 3 of their last 10 home games.
• The totals have gone over 3 times in the Lightning’s last 5 home games.

Canadiens vs. Lightning Expert Betting Predictions

Everyone loves an underdog story, which the Canadiens are after making their way to the 2021 Stanley Cup Finals. Thanks to the team’s resilience, they were able to overcome even the toughest teams along the way. However, the Lightning is on a different level this season. Beating Toronto and Vegas were impressive, but the defending champions are not going to go down without a fight.

It’s a long shot, but doable if they can adjust according to their needs right away. But if the Lightning fails to lose their momentum in the series, this should be a straightforward win for the team.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.