The Pittsburgh Penguins will try to bounce back from a lopsided loss tonight, Monday April 18th, when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Quarter Finals at St. Pete Times Forum. The Penguins have won three of their last five meetings over the Lightning. NHL oddsmakers have the Lightning as -140 moneyline home favourites over the Penguins (-115) with the over/under set at 5 goals. Be sure to check the Penguins vs Lightning NHL Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
Pittsburgh (1-1) is tied at one game apiece after playing the first two games of the best-of-seven series in Pittsburgh. The Pens notched a 3-0 victory in the opener before getting handled, 5-1, in Friday's Game 2 matchup at Consol Energy Center. Craig Adams supplied the lone goal for the fourth-seeded Penguins, who got just 16 saves from Marc-Andre Fleury. The Pens goaltender had 32 saves in Pittsburgh's Game 1 triumph. Pittsburgh finished 0-for-7 on the power play and is 0-for-13 with the man advantage through the first two games of this series. "We knew what to expect tonight. We knew they were going to come out the way they did," said Pittsburgh forward James Neal. Of course, Pittsburgh is still playing without captain Sidney Crosby due to a concussion. Crosby continues to practice with the team, but he has not been cleared for contact and will likely miss tonight's game.
Tampa Bay (1-1) Tampa defenseman Eric Brewer ignited a three-goal first period and collected two assists to help the Lightning tie the series with an easy win. Vincent Lecavalier and Martin St Louis both scored power-play goals and Simon Gagne recorded three helpers for fifth-seeded Tampa Bay. Dwayne Roloson turned aside 35 shots to notch his first postseason win in five years. The Lightning have a trio of defensemen battling injuries, as Marc-Andre Bergeron (undisclosed), Randy Jones (left ankle) and Matt Smaby (lower body) are all questionable for tonight's game. Tampa, which will also host Game 4 on Wednesday, had a solid 25-11-5 record as the host this year. Pittsburgh was 24-11-6 as the visiting team. Pittsburgh and the Bolts split four meetings during the regular season and this playoff series marks the first-ever postseason matchup between these clubs.
Recent Trends to Consider:
Home team is 5-1 in the last 6 meetings.
Favorite is 4-1 in the last 5 meetings.
Under is 18-6-3 in the last 27 meetings in Tampa Bay.
Under is 14-6-1 in the last 21 meetings.
Penguins are 6-15-1 in the last 22 meetings in Tampa Bay.
Lightning are 6-0 in their last 6 when their opponent allows 5 goals or more in their previous game.
Lightning are 4-0 in their last 4 games as a favorite.
Lightning are 7-1 in their last 8 Monday games.
Lightning are 8-2 in their last 10 overall.
Penguins vs Lightning
When: Monday, April 18, 7:30 PM ET
Pick: Lightning -140
Point-Spreads.com recommends you check out NHL Point Spreads before Penguins vs Lightning game.
The Bottom Line: The Lightning have the momentum heading home. Be sure to check Penguins vs Lightning Hockey Point Spreads and get your predictions in early.
