Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning Prediction, 3/31/2026 NHL Picks, Best Bets & Odds

Game: Montreal Canadiens vs Tampa Bay Lightning

Date: Tuesday, March 31, 2026

Location: Amalie Arena in Tampa, FL

TV: WXPX-TV

Amalie Arena is the site where the Tampa Bay Lightning (46-21-6) will attempt to defeat the Montreal Canadiens (42-21-10) on Tuesday.

The Montreal Canadiens came out of this game feeling pretty good about themselves with a 3-1 win over the Hurricanes in their previous contest . The Canadiens offense didn't overly impress in this win. While out there on the ice, they tallied a score on 3 of the 18 shots they looked to score on. They also had 4 chances on the power play and were able to score 1 goal. Montreal accounted for 6 mins in the box for this matchup.

At even strength, the Canadiens let the opposition score 175 goals while earning 205 themselves. Montreal Canadiens opponents have amassed 226 power play opportunities (6th in pro hockey) and have a total of 53 goals in those attempts. With regard to their goal scoring prowess, the Montreal Canadiens have accumulated 256 goals (4th in the league) on the season and have conceded 228. Montreal has attempted 1,935 shots and is the owner of a shot percentage of 13.2%. For the season, they have recorded 94 points and their points percentage is sitting at .644. The Canadiens so far have had 2,022 shots attempted against them and have earned a save percentage of .887. Montreal is sitting with 208 power play chances and they have notched 51 goals during those chances, giving them a rate of 24.52%.

The player between the pipes for this game is Jakub Dobes. Dobes has taken the ice for 53 games over the course of his professional hockey career. He has amassed an overall record of 32-12-7 and he was named the starter in 51 games. Opponents have scored 140 goals versus Dobes in his NHL career and his goals against rate is 2.75. Dobes has had 1,443 shots against him and he has 1,303 total saves. His save percentage is at .903 for his 938 mins guarding the cage. Over the course of his pro career, Dobes is sitting with 30 quality starts and his percentage for quality starts is .588.

Their last time out, Tampa Bay faced the Predators in an outing where the Lightning took home the victory by a mark of 3-2. The Lightning scored 3 goals out of the 28 shots on goal they were seeking. They had 4 power play chances in this matchup but didn't put one in the back of the net.

Tampa Bay has taken 2,062 shots (16th in the league) and has a shot percentage of 12.75%, while allowing the opposition 1,964 shots. They have earned a penalty kill percentage of 82.30% on their opponents 226 tries on the power play, and their save percentage is currently 89.8%. They have earned 222 opportunities on the power play and they have a power play rate of 22.52%. The Lightning have tallied 213 goals at even strength and 50 goals (10th in hockey) while on the power play. They have granted a total of 201 goals to be scored by way of 161 goals at even strength and 40 goals while they had less men on the ice. On the year, the Tampa Bay Lightning have a total of 263 goals, 98 points, and a points percentage of .671.

On the other side of the ice you are going to see Andrei Vasilevskiy in the crease. Vasilevskiy is sitting with a career record of 366-175-39 and has participated in 591 games. Vasilevskiy's percentage of quality starts is 58.7% and he has 341 quality starts in his pro hockey career. He has a tally of 15,969 saves out of the 17,421 shots tried, which gives him a save percentage of .917. His opponents are averaging 2.50 goals per game and he has allowed 1,452 goals overall. He has started in 581 contests and has been on the ice for 28,746 minutes.

Who will win tonight's NHL game against the spread or moneyline?

Josh's Pick: Take Montreal

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