Ladies and gentlemen, we have ourselves a series! The Tampa Bay Lightning looked out of place and frankly lethargic heading into Game 3 at home. They were able to storm back against one of the most dominant teams in the NHL in recent history.
A 6-2 dominating victory for Tampa has given all viewers the outlook that this series has all of the makings to be a long one. Colorado was unable to develop their game early on, and they fell behind too far to climb back in the game.
Both teams now have tall tasks ahead of themselves. The Lightning will have to repeat the success that they had in Game 3, while the Avalanche will have to overcome the expectations and disappointment that came their way in the last contest.
Currently, it is a dead-even lock on the favorite for Game 3 as both teams have -105 odds on the money line. Those odds just show how close this series truly is.
Colorado Will Need to Handle Adversity
Any team that has won the Stanley Cup will tell you that it is no easy feat. Your team must handle victories, defeats, and numerous types of adversity if they want to hoist the cup at the conclusion of the playoffs. The Avalanche just got a dose of their toughest test to date. They got seemingly outplayed by the two-time defending champions with all the momentum in their opponent’s favor.
Forward Gabriel Landeskog tallied both goals for the Avalanche in Game 3. He now has 11 goals so far this postseason. The captain of the Colorado Avalanche can only hope that his play can make a lasting impact on the production of the Avalanche’s roster.
A big question mark for Colorado is who will be between the pipes for Game 4. Starting netminder Darcy Kuemper was pulled in the Game 3 defeat, which has placed his status for Game 4 up in the air. The backup, Pavel Francouz, is capable of bringing some relief in the crease for the Avs.
The Avs still have the lead in the series and should still have confidence heading into Game 4.
Can Lightning Strike More Than Once
The Tampa Bay Lightning once again found themselves down 2-0 in the series heading back home for Game 3. Once again, they won Game 3 and seemed to have gained confidence.
The Lightning offense came to life as they rattled off six goals for the victory. The captain, Steven Stamkos, registered a goal and an assist to help his team climb back into the series. Stamkos has scored ten goals so far in the playoffs and will aim to help his team win Game 4 at home.
Their elite goaltender, Andrei Vasilevskiy, once again gave Tampa much-needed relief in the net. It seems that the farther each series goes, the more comfortable Vasilevskiy is. Expect him to have another stellar game in Game 4.
Pick and Prediction
All in all, any fan of ice hockey should tune into Game 4 of the Stanley Cup Finals. It is bound to be an electric atmosphere at Amalie Arena on Wednesday evening. Both teams are deadlocked as the favorite for this contest at -105 odds. On the puck line, Tampa is a -1.5 with +220 odds, while Colorado is +1.5 with -260 odds.
The odds show this game as an even locked battle. It will be a tight contest, but the edge needs to lean toward the home team. The Lightning are the two-time defending champions for a reason. They know how to win when the games get tighter.
Pick the Lightning as the moneyline bet at -105 odds for Game 4 at home.
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