![]() That feat hasn't been accomplished since the New York Islanders won four in a row from 1980 to 1983. Then the Lightning rattled off back-to-back championships in 20, and they are four wins away from making it three in a row. When the Pittsburgh Penguins went back-to-back as Stanley Cup champions in 20, it was hard to believe that feat would happen again anytime soon with how difficult it is to win in the salary cap era. The Lightning continue to roll with their 11th straight postseason win, and the Rangers took major strides forward in their first year under head coach Gerard Gallant, but they ran into a very experienced buzzsaw. In the final four games of the series, New York scored just one five-on-five goal. Everywhere outside of the crease, the Rangers got thoroughly outplayed, and their five-on-five offense was non-existent. Even on Tampa's game-winning goal, Shesterkin made the save but was the victim of an unlucky bounce. Shesterkin did everything he could to force a Game 7 in New York, but his offense let him down for the final time in this series. Vasilevskiy didn't have a massive workload, but he stopped 20 of the 21 shots he faced, and he answered the bell when called upon. Beyond that, Andrei Vasilevskiy did what he does in elimination games, which is build a forcefield around his own net. Lightning captain Steven Stamkos played hero with a pair of goals, including the game-winner late in the third that banked in off his body after a great save by Rangers goalie Igor Shesterkin. With a 2-1 win over the New York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Final, the Lightning move on to face the Colorado Avalanche for the NHL's top prize. Todd Cordell is a sports betting writer at theScore.The Tampa Bay Lightning are going to the Stanley Cup Final for the third season in a row. Suffice it to say, he's not the kind of goaltender who's going to keep his team in games it doesn't belong in.Įxpect the red-hot Golden Knights to start fast in this one.īet: Golden Knights first period -0.5 (+100)) 885 save percentage and ranks near the bottom of the league in Goals Saved Above Expected. The Golden Knights, who rank fifth in expected goal share over the last 10 games, should be able to dominate the run of play from the offset.Īssuming that's the case, it shouldn't take too long to break through Petr Mrazek. They're having a miserable time at both ends of the ice, which isn't exactly surprising given the lack of talent on their roster. They rank in the top five in first-period goals and top five in first-period goals against no other team can say the same.Ĭonversely, the Blackhawks rank dead last in opening-frame goals and 30th in goals against. The Golden Knights are a veteran-heavy team that consistently starts on time. This is a huge mismatch on paper and, if the first 50-plus games are any indication, it should shine through very early in this contest. ![]() On Tuesday night, they get a date with a tanking Chicago Blackhawks team that, despite winning its last couple of contests, remains level with the Ducks for dead last in the West. The Vegas Golden Knights have quietly picked up five consecutive wins - including victories over playoff teams like the Lightning and Wild - and sit tied for the top spot in the Western Conference. Given the Lightning's first-period prowess, and the fact that they're coming off back-to-back defeats, I expect them to come out flying and get an early jump on this putrid Ducks side.īet: Lightning first period -0.5 (-120) Golden Knights (-290) Blackhawks (+240) The Lightning have significantly more firepower, are better defensively, and have a big edge between the pipes with Andrei Vasilevskiy set to match up against Lukas Dostal. ![]() It just so happens that the Ducks' opponent, Tampa Bay, leads the NHL in first-period goals scored despite playing a couple of games fewer than all of the teams surrounding the Bolts up top. For perspective, the Canucks (75) are the only other team that's allowed even 60 goals in the opening frame. The Ducks have conceded 71 first-period goals this season, the second most in the NHL. There's not much juice worth the squeeze on the moneyline or puckline, so we're going to attack the first-period market, which will be a common theme. They're always a team I'm looking to attack, especially in the latter half of a road back-to-back against a great team like the Tampa Bay Lightning.
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