Massive Game For Habs Tonight Vs. Lightning

Coming into tonight, the Habs have struggled to find their legs in their first two back at the Bell Centre following their 5-game road trip that ended last Saturday; nonetheless, they are still coming off a 4-3 shootout win against the Florida Panthers on Tuesday night. Despite the victory, the Habs will want to come out with a lot more effort tonight if they are hoping to get the win. Meanwhile, the Lightning are on a 2-game losing streak after falling to the Ottawa Senators 6-2 on Tuesday. Therefore, both teams will be looking to turn things around by playing hard in what could be the final preview of their playoff series that will start next week.

For this important matchup, the Canadiens have announced that they will be starting Jakub Dobes in net tonight. Dobes is currently on a 6-game winning streak, which includes last week’s big 4-1 victory against the Lightning. During those 6 games, Dobes has recorded a .946 save percentage and 1.79 GAA as he continues to play a huge role in the Habs’ success down the stretch. He will be looking to get his 7th straight win, which would surpass his previous longest NHL winning streak from the start of the season. Will Dobes stay hot tonight?

At forward, Joe Veleno will be returning to the lineup after missing Tuesday’s game with an undisclosed illness. He will be taking Zack Bolduc’s spot in the lineup. The fact that Veleno is finally replacing a healthy body in the lineup is a sign that his hard work on the forecheck is really paying off. Brendan Gallagher will be a healthy scratch for the 2nd straight game.

On defence, Kaiden Guhle will be out for the 2nd straight game with an undisclosed injury, meaning both Adam Engstrom and Arber Xhekaj will keep their spots in the lineup. The positive is Guhle was back on the ice before practice with Alexandre Carrier and Adam Nicholas, showing that he should be back soon along with Carrier.

Star netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy will be getting the start for the Lightning tonight. Despite getting outplayed by Dobes last week, Vasilevskiy has historically been dominant against the Habs. Throughout his career, he has played 22 games vs. the Canadiens, where he has a 16-4-2 record with an incredible .930 save percentage and 2.08 GAA. Vasilevskiy leads the NHL in wins this season with 37, is 2nd in GAA among starters with a 2.10 GAA, and is 3rd in save percentage at .912. With that being said, the Habs will have a big challenge playing against Vasilevskiy, but as proven by last week’s win, if they can manage to put three pucks by him, it should be enough to get the win.

Given just how good both Dobes and Vasilevskiy have been as of late, the under 6.5 goals total is a trending bet that would be smart to cash in on, as we should expect another scoring affair. The Habs are listed as an even-money +100 home underdog, as the historical trends show that the Lightning should have the advantage once again tonight.

Cole Caufield is still on the hunt for that 50th goal that continues to allude him. His goalless streak this season has been 4 games; with the fact that he hasn’t scored in his last 3 matchups, the odds are saying that he should get a goal soon. The odds for Caufield to score tonight are listed at +125. Do you think he reaches his 50th goal tonight to put that milestone behind both him and the team?

Tell us your predictions for tonight’s clash between the Lightning and Canadiens.