The Colorado Avalanche will host the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday at 9:30 p.m. EST in Ball Arena. Check out our Tampa Bay Lightning vs Colorado Avalanche pick and prediction here!
Colorado is currently at the top of the Central division with 19 poingames played. They are 3-0-2 at home and 4-1-3 on the road so far and they are 5-1-4 overall in their last tents in 13 . Meanwhile, the Lightning have jumped from the bottom of the Atlantic division to 3rd in the division with 14 points in 12 games. They are four points behind the Canadiens and the Red Wings for the top spot as well. Tampa is on a five-game winning streak hoping to make it six with an upset win here. The Avalanche are favored at a -145 money line while the total is set at an even six goals. Can the Lightning get an upset win and improve their win streak to six?
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Lightning Losing Less
Tampa earned its fifth win in a row with a 4-2 victory over the Utah Mammoth. Jake Guentzel was the only player for the Lightning to earn multiple points on the night with a goal and an assist, while Brandon Hagel, Anthony Cerelli, and Yanni Gourde each scored as well. Hagel and Gourde led the team in shots with four, while Jonas Johansson made 25 of 27 saves to earn the win.
The Lightning are currently ranked 20th in goals per game, 26th in shots per game, 23rd in the face-off circle, and 27th on the power play. Guentzel is currently leading the team with 12 points, and Cirelli has the most goals on the team with seven. Guentzel has seven assists to his name, and Cerelli has a team-high +7 thus far. Curtis Douglas has 12 penalty minutes to his name to lead the forwards, and Nikita Kucherov has the most ice time on average at 20:57. Cirelli predictably has the most power-play goals with two, while Kucherov, Brayden Point, and Guentzel each have two power-play assists. Guentzel has led the team in shots with 37 as well.
On the defensive side, Victor Hedman is still the anchor with nine points, all assists. Ryan McDonaugh has the most goals among defenders with three and Emil Lilleberg has 31 penalty minutes already. J.J. Moser is the current leader in +/- with a +4 and Hedman is the only player on Tampa Bay’s roster to average more than 22 minutes of ice time per game. He has four power-play assists to lead the unit, and he has the most shots on goal among defenders with 21. Andrei Vasilevskiy has taken the majority of reps in net this season and he is averaging a 2.61 GAA and an 89.9% save percentage. If Tampa wants to make another playoff run before their window closes, Vasilevskiy will need to be better than he has performed the past season and change. Overall, the Lightning are ranked 8th in goals against, 15th in shots against, but they are 3rd on the penalty kill. Crozier and Nick Paul are the only ones listed on the injury report, and both are out for this contest.
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Terms & Conditions Colorado Climbing Up the Division
Colorado propelled themselves to the top of the division, but they may have squandered an extra point after falling to the San Jose Sharks in overtime by a score of 4-3. Nathan MacKinnon and Martin Necas each scored for the Avalanche, while Sam Malinski led the team in shots with five. Nobody had more than one point for the Avalanche while Mackenzie Blackwood made 20 of 23 saves in the effort.
Colorado’s offense ranks 5th in goals per game, 23rd on the power play, #1 in shots per game, and 13th in the face-off circle. Expectedly, MacKinnon leads the squad in goals (10), shots (55), and power play goals (4). He has the most assists (9) and average ice time among forwards (21:43) as well. Four different offensive skaters have eight penalty minutes to their name and Artturi Lehkonen has the best +/- ratio with a +12. Victor Olofsson has the most power play assists among the forwards with three and nobody has a shorthanded goal yet.
Among the defensive skaters for Colorado, Cale Makar leads the way with 18 points. He has four goals, 14 assists, and a +12 as well. While no blue-liner has a power play goal this year, Makar leads all players with seven assists on the power play. Josh Manson has 15 penalty minutes to his name, and Makar averages over 25 minutes per game on the ice to lead the squad. With 34 shots too, Makar leads the defenders. Scott Wedgewood is the primary starter for the Avalanche with a 2.53 ERA and a 90% save percentage. Overall, the defense ranks 4th in goals against, 4th on the penalty kill, and 4th in shots against. Four players, including Logan O’Connor, are listed on the injury report. Gavin Brindley is the only player listed as day-to-day, while the rest are out.
Lightning vs Avalanche PickSpread Pick for Lightning vs Avalanche Colorado Avalanche -1.5 (4 units)
This one is a bit risky, but despite the winning streak the Lightning are on, they are bound to lose at some point. During their win streak, three of those games have been decided by one goal and two in overtime. A couple of bad bounces here and there could have put them in a far worse spot compared to where they are now. The Lightning are 4-8 ATS this season, and the Avalanche are 3-0-2 at home this season. A closer look at Colorado’s games will tell you they have lost only one game in regulation in their last ten. I trust them to capitalize here at home and add an extra goal at the end for good measure to cover the spread.
Over/Under pick for Lightning vs Avalanche
Both teams have been solid thus far on the defensive end, but I’d much rather take the over here, particularly when it is at an even six goals. To depend on the Lightning to stop MacKinnon, Makar, Necas, and others for sixty minutes is tough enough but then you have Kucherov, Point, Guentzel, Hedman, and others to stop on the other side. There is too much offensive talent to make me think the total will be at five goals or lower. These two teams have hit the over in their last three and four of five meetings as well.
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