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Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: December 7, 2021 | Betting Update

Last season’s Stanley Cup finalists go head-to-head once more

The stage is set and the Montreal Canadiens (6-17-3) and Tampa Bay Lightning (15-5-4) are ready to meet at Bell Centre in Montreal on Tuesday, December 7 for their first encounter this season. Will the Lightning dominate yet again? Or will the Habs show out this go around?

The last time these two teams battled was in July of 2021 during the most recent Stanley Cup Final. It was decided in five games, and for the second year in a row, the Bolts took the top prize in the NHL (their third in franchise history). Head-to-head, Tampa Bay scored 17 goals throughout the Finals (two of which were power-play goals) whereas Montreal got just eight past the goalie, and of those, a single PPG. The clubs’ shots on goal though were much more even with only four separating the Lightning (144) from the Canadiens (140). In addition, the Lightning are 8-1 in their last nine matchups against the Habs. The Bolts go into this game as the heavy moneyline favorite.

The Lightning have won their most recent three games and there’s no doubt that they’ll be looking to underscore their Stanley Cup victory again on December 7. They are currently without Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point, but you wouldn’t know it based on how they’ve been playing. All members of the Bolts have stepped up to the plate to fill the void left by the pair of star forwards. This of course includes Victor Hedman, the Conn Smythe and Norris trophy winner, who leads all NHL defenseman in points right now (26), and captain Steven Stamkos who is setting the pace for Tampa Bay right now in terms of goals (12). For his part, goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy remains at the top of his game and is currently strutting a .927 save percentage, nearly at the very top of the league among netminders.

On the other side of the ice, the Canadiens can’t seem to catch a break. They have lost eight of their most recent 10 games, including a knockout blow in OT versus the Nashville Predators on December 4. Right winger Josh Anderson may have a team-leading 7 goals this season, but Montreal is tied with Arizona for allowing the most goals in the NHL so far (93). That stat alone doesn’t bode well for them when up against a powerhouse team like the Bolts. The Canadiens are averaging 2.3 goals a game and are scoring on 13.6% of power plays.

Odds

Moneyline: Tampa Bay Lightning (-235) / Montreal Canadiens (+200)

Puckline: Tampa Bay Lightning -1.5 (+110) / Montreal Canadiens +1.5 (-130)

Over/under: 5.5 points

All odds and lines are current as of December 6, 2021