Moneyline • Tampa Bay Lightning

Okay, so I'm backing Tampa Bay here — it's a bit of a confident wobble on my part, I admit. I'm laying three units because the Lightning generally bring more consistent depth and I expect them to carry momentum into Montréal (please let this work). The odds/price on Tampa Bay imply a modest favorite, which in game flow terms means they should control possession more and look to dictate pace rather than sit back and play reactionary hockey.