NHL Best Bet: Monday, May 23rd

The Tampa Bay Lightning have assumed control of the series with their In-State rivals the Florida Panthers after taking a 3-games to nil lead on Sunday night. As our resident NHL Expert Ej Garr expected, the Lightning will be looking to sweep out the Cats of the NHL playoffs and the price is right to expect to happen!

NHL Playoffs Best Bet May 23rd

• Tampa Bay vs Florida: Tampa Bay to Win (OT Included)

Odds as of 11:00 am May 23rd, 2022. Odds may now differ.

Tampa Bay vs Florida Best Bet

May 24, 00;05 UK time

It’s over! This series will be over on Monday night and the Lightning will be able to rest up for their Eastern Conference Finals opponent. The Rangers and Hurricanes are still battling it out but the one thing that we can be sure of is that the Lightning has thoroughly dismantled the Florida Panthers thus far.

Where do I start? I have been taking notes all weekend about the right things to mention to support the lightning just finishing out this series tonight. Blocked shots much? I mean are you watching this series unfold and seeing that the lanes to take shots would make any Roto-Rooter expert proud of such a huge clog! 

Tampa Bay is going to need the time off to rest for one reason only and that is to deal with the black and blue pockmarks all over their bodies from blocked shot after blocked shot. It may not be the most entertaining hockey to watch for some people because we’re seeing more low-scoring, tightly contested affairs but this is the Stanley Cup Playoffs. This has been happening for decades even back when high-scoring games were the thing in the 80s. 

The playoffs mean bruises, getting in front of pucks, and finding power-play goals and as many chances as you can find to score because everything tightens up. No one wants to be the guy that gave up a chance to score and no one wants to shy away from blocking a shot because your teammates feed off that stuff!

After the Lightning took both games to open this clash in Florida they came home knowing that defending Stanley Cup champions have won 68 of the last 71 series. Tampa Bay was also 5 – 0 in their first of back-to-back games in their post-season history and now they are 6 – 0 after taking the convincing game-3 win on Sunday, 5 – 1. 

Andrei Vesilevskiy now has 56 playoff wins since making his post-season debut back in 2015 and that leads all active netminders in the NHL. Do you remember what I said about how often Florida is being held to 2 goals or less when I previewed game 2 here at bettingexpert? 

Well, the Cats have not scored more than once in any of these 3 games against the Lightning and I don’t even think they’ll score more than once in Game 4 either. Deflated! You even see it when Tampa scores their goals because the Panthers don’t plug the lines, they certainly aren’t getting in front of shots and the goals Tampa is scoring look so easy! 

We are seeing a 1.86 at Marathonbet as the early line for game 4 arrives so that is what I have to go by in this spot. In my opinion – IT’S OVER! The cats have squeaked their last meow and the Lightning looks like a well-oiled machine on defence, special teams, and offence. 

I called for the sweep of the Panthers before game 2 even arrived and I know why I said it then and I know why we’ll see it finished tonight. The two teams will be shaking hands at centre ice congratulating the Ning’s advancement and Tampa Bay will be waiting for New York or Carolina to join them. 

• Selection: Lightning to Win (OT Incl)
• Best odds: 1.86 (Marathonbet)
• Stakes 4/10

Odds as of 11:00 am May 23rd, 2022. Odds may now differ.

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