In NHL Stanley Cup Finals action on Monday, the Tampa Bay Lightning will face the Colorado Avalanche.
The Colorado Avalanche enter this away game with a 3-0 series lead in the Stanley Cup Finals. They have 312 goals this season, which puts them in third place among NHL clubs. Colorado is the 7th best defensive squad in the league, allowing opponents to score an average of 2.83 goals per game. The Avalanche have a strength of schedule ranking of 26th in the league this season. They are the NHL’s third-ranked team when it comes to opponent-adjusted scoring margin entering this game.
The Tampa Bay Lightning will attempt to claw their way back into the Stanley Cup Finals after falling behind 3-0 in the series. The Lightning have scored 287 goals this season, for an average of 3.48 goals per game. With this output, they are ranked 8th among NHL clubs. Tampa Bay’s defense is rated 6th in the league, allowing 2.78 goals per game. The Lightning have had the league’s 22nd toughest schedule this season. When you consider Tampa Bay’s scoring margin in relation to the quality of their opponents, they have a power ranking of 8th in the NHL.
Mikko Rantanen leads the Colorado Avalanche in goal and overall scoring with 92 points in 75 games. With a shooting percentage of 14.2 percent, he has reached his goal total of 36. So far, he’s scored 44.0 percent of his goals on the power play. Nathan MacKinnon, who has 56 assists to go along with his 32 goals, is right behind him. His offensive production has earned him a plus-minus rating of +22 while on the ice. Darcy Kuemper is Colorado’s best goalkeeper, allowing 2.54 goals per game on average. In 57 games, he has made 32 quality starts, a quality start percentage that is higher than the league average.
Steven Stamkos leads the Tampa Bay Lightning in goal and overall scoring with 106 points after 81 games. With a shooting percentage of 17.4 percent, he has reached his goal total of 42. So far, he’s scored 38.0 percent of his goals on the power play. Victor Hedman, who has 65 assists to go along with his 20 goals, is right behind him. His offensive production has earned him a plus-minus rating of +26.0 while on the ice. Andrei Vasilevskiy is Tampa Bay’s best goalkeeper, allowing 2.49 goals per game on average. He has made 39 quality starts in 63 games, a quality start percentage that is higher than the league average.
The over-under betting line for Game 3 of the Stanley Cup Finals is set at 6 goals. So far, the series’ two games have resulted in a total of seven goals. In game 3, I advocate taking the over since Colorado appears to be playing at full strength offensively.
Free Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning
