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It has to be really hard to play the Tampa Bay Lightning. As if it wasn’t enough that the Bolts were one of the best rosters in the NHL, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy is also one of the best at his position. The Montreal Canadiens found that out the hard way on Wednesday night, as they fell 3-1 and head back home trailing 2-0 in the series.



They say that you are never in trouble until you lose a game at home, but after seeing what the Habs have to contend with in this season, it is safe to say that they are in trouble before even setting foot on home ice. Tampa Bay is a modest road favorite in the -130 range at <a href="https://www.bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/bookmaker/">Bookmaker Sportsbook</a> with a total of 5 for Game 3 on Friday night.



<h2 id="h-tampa-bay-lightning">Tampa Bay Lightning</h2>



It was the offense in Game 1 and the goaltending in Game 2 that built a 2-0 series lead. That’s not to say that the Lightning have not played well defensively. They have. They blocked a ton of shots in Game 1 and kept Montreal out of the high-percentage scoring areas. They didn’t do nearly as many of those things in Game 2, but Andrei Vasilevskiy stood tall.



Vasilevskiy made 42 saves on Wednesday night and the Lightning scored a backbreaking goal with mere seconds left in the second period to eventually come away with a 3-1 decision. The Habs outshot the Bolts 43-23 in the game and 34-18 at 5-v-5, but could only muster one light switch from the goal judge behind Vasilevskiy.



In essence, the better team got away with one. It was not a good performance from Tampa Bay. Montreal made some excellent adjustments and held the Lightning to just eight shots on goal at 5-v-5 over the first two periods of the game. Tampa Bay’s transition-based offense was nowhere to be found. The forecheck was not nearly as successful. The defensemen could not pinch as often.



And the Lightning still won. Good teams find ways to do that when they aren’t at their best, though Vasilevskiy deserves a lot of the credit. While the Lightning did spend a lot more time in their own zone, Montreal still only had seven high-danger scoring chances at 5-v-5 and failed to score at full strength.



Looking ahead to Game 3, Tampa Bay needs to be better. Pucks need to get deeper and the forecheck needs to win the day again. It would also help if the Lightning could generate some more high-danger chances of their own, as they only have 13 through two games. They need to get the offense going as well.



<h2 id="h-montreal-canadiens">Montreal Canadiens</h2>



What more is there to say for Montreal? The Habs played about as well as they could have played through two periods and still trailed 2-1 on a goal with just two seconds left in the second period. That goal really took most of the wind out of Montreal’s sails and gave the Lightning an extra burst to finish the game off.



The Canadiens had a 14-4 edge in 5-v-5 shots and an 11-4 edge in 5-v-5 scoring chances in that second period, but the late goal was such a demoralizing moment for the team. It was fortunate to be able to go back into the locker room and get composed again, but the Lightning also had an extra pep in their steps coming back for the third period and buckled down a little bit more effectively.



While the 43 shots looks like an impressive number for Montreal, especially compared to the low output in Game 1, a lot of the shots were pucks just thrown on net harmessly. There weren’t a lot of high-quality scoring chances for Montreal. Even with that big second period push, Montreal had only one high-danger chance in the period at 5-v-5.



At least the penalty kill looked sharp again after giving up a streak of 30 straight kills in Game 1. The special teams for Montreal looked very good in the game, but they couldn’t get more than one past Vasilevskiy and Carey Price was the lesser of the two goaltenders again. It looks like he’ll have to be superhuman to get one of the games in this series.



<h2 id="h-lightning-vs-canadiens-free-pick">Lightning vs. Canadiens Free Pick</h2>



Tampa Bay and Montreal have played a relatively even series at 5-v-5 overall. Montreal does have 10 more scoring chances, but Tampa Bay has four scoring-chance goals to just one for Montreal. Until somebody finds a way to put the puck in the net, Montreal has no chance. Tampa Bay is getting timely goals from seemingly everybody on the roster.



After what was a pretty mediocre showing from the Lightning in Game 2, you have to think they’ll bounce back with a much better effort in Game 3.



Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning

Lightning vs. Canadiens Free Pick & Prediction Game 3 07/02/21

Week 1 of the 2021-22 NHL season goes on with three games on Friday’s card, including the inter-conference showdown from Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, so we bring you the best Canucks vs. Flyers betting pick and odds.&nbsp;



Vancouver meets Philadelphia for the first time since November 2019, and the Canucks have lost six of their previous nine encounters with the Flyers. According to <a href="https://www.bangthebook.com/sportsbooks/bovada/">Bovada Sportsbook</a>, the Flyers are -150 moneyline favorites for Friday’s clash, while the totals are listed at 6.0 goals.



<h2>The Canucks suffered a tough loss in the opener</h2>



The Vancouver Canucks started the new season with a 3-2 shootout defeat at the Edmonton Oilers this past Wednesday. They conceded in each of the first two periods and mounted a comeback in the final eight minutes of the third, but the Oilers escaped with a win after Tanner Pearson missed in the fifth series of a shootout.



Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Quinn Hughes found the back of the net in the regulation, while Nils Hoglander accounted for a couple of dishes. J.T. Miller also had an assist, and the 28-year-old center spent nearly 23 minutes on the ice. The Canucks took 38 shots but converted only one of their five power-play opportunities.



Thatcher Demko should patrol the crease at Philadelphia after a strong performance in the opener. The talented netminder posted 32 saves against the powerful Edmonton offense. Last season, Demko went 16-18-1 with a 2.85 GAA and a .915 save percentage.



<h2>The Flyers look for a bounce-back campaign</h2>



The previous season was a huge disappointment for the Philadelphia Flyers, who went 25-23-8 and finished sixth in the East Division. Travis Konecny had only 34 points in 50 games after tallying 61 across 66 appearances in the 2019-20 season, while James van Riemsdyk and Claude Giroux led the way with 43 points each.



This trio will be key for the Flyers’ eventual success this time around. Philadelphia was 15th in the league in goals scored per game (2.86) and dead last in goals against (3.52) this past regular season, so the Flyers will have to improve on the defensive end as well.



Carter Hart is expected to guard the cage Friday against Vancouver. The 23-year-old goalie was a disaster last regular season, going 9-11-5 with an awful 3.67 GAA and a .877 save percentage. Two seasons ago, Carter went 24-13-3 with a strong 2.42 GAA and a .914 save percentage.



Trends:



Vancouver:



<ul><li>4-12 in the last 16 games overall</li><li>3-10 in the last 13 games on the road</li><li>1-4 in the last five games against the Eastern Conference</li></ul>



Philadelphia:



<ul><li>6-3 in the last nine games against Vancouver</li><li>4-1 in the last five home tilts against the Canucks&nbsp;</li></ul>



<h2 id="h-vancouver-canucks-vs-philadelphia-flyers-pick">Vancouver Canucks vs. Philadelphia Flyers Pick</h2>



We should see an entertaining clash that could easily go either way, and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Canucks force another overtime. The totals look like a way to go in this matchup, though I lean the Flyers because they should be fired up to grab a win in their opening game of the season in front of the home fans.



I’m worried about the Flyers’ defense, but their offense will have to step up this season, considering how many dangerous weapons they possess. Also, Carter Hart can only play better than he did the last term.



Pick: Take Philadelphia Flyers at -150&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;



The Total:



Week 1 betting is always tricky, but I like the over here. Both teams have some problems at the back and are capable of scoring three or more goals each, so I’ll take +100 odds on the over 6.0 goals.



Seven of Philadelphia’s last nine regular-season games saw six or more goals on the scoreboard. In their last preseason contest, the Flyers have suffered a 5-3 defeat at the Washington Capitals. The Canucks’ opener at Edmonton saw just four goals in total, but it could’ve gone either way, as goalies put on a strong performance.



Pick: Go over 6.0 goals at +100

Vancouver Canucks vs. Philadelphia Flyers Odds, Pick, Prediction 10/15/21