Let’s take a look at the top picks, plays and predictions for the Eastern Conference Final.
| Lightning vs Penguins ML -140 / +127 O/U 5 |
Here are tonight’s starting goaltenders, courtesy of LeftWingLock.
I watched Game 3 of this series with my father two nights ago. After the second period, the score was 1-0 Pittsburgh. My father turned to me as the horn sounded and said, “Boy I hope you didn’t say to take the over in this one.”
I smiled nervously. “Well, yeah, I did,” I said.
My dad laughed to himself at what a foolish pick it was looking to be. And as we sat there during the long intermission on NBC Sports, I resigned myself to the fact that a pick on the over may have been a swing and a miss.
Pittsburgh and Tampa combined for five goals in the third period. Pittsburgh would come out on top 4-2. The over hit. This is a strange, strange game we watch.
The Bolts managed to salvage the score and make it somewhat respectable, though the Penguins never lost their lead. With 10 seconds remaining in the second period, Phil Kessel challenged Victor Hedman to a footrace. Surprise surprise, Kessel won. The Penguins winger managed to get a shooting lane and forced a rebound off the pads of Andrei Vasilevskiy. Carl Hagelin, who won a footrace of his own against Braydon Coburn, tapped in the loose change.
The Pens’ third line struck yet again in the third period, as sustained pressure led to a chance in front for Kessel. Hagelin to Bonino behind the net to Kessel. The goal was Kessel’s seventh of the postseason.
Just 14 seconds later, the Bolts struck back. Nikita Kucherov entered the Pittsburgh zone with three defenders closing in around him. Kucherov dropped it back to Johnson, who at full speed blew past the defense and sniped it past Matt Murray.
The momentum looked for a moment to be shifting in Tampa’s favor. Midway through the third, however, the Bolts found themselves shorthanded 4-on-3 after a careless penalty. Time and wide open space is simply something that cannot be given to a unit of Crosby, Malkin and Kessel. The Penguins’ rapid puck movement gave Crosby plenty of time to tee up a one-timer.
Tampa struggled to put together much of an attack after the third goal. After a great save on a two-on-one by Vasilevskiy, a brutal turnover in front left an open net for Chris Kunitz to follow up on his missed attempt. Dagger. 4-1.
Cedric Paquette was standing right in front of Victor Hedman as he tried to clear the crease. The blind attempt hit off his stick and bounced right to Kunitz.
In the regular season this would be a “burn the tape” kind of game. But the Lightning need more out of their defensive core. Pittsburgh’s speed has been far too much to handle, and Andrei Vasilveskiy can only bail out the team so many times. The Bolts’ backup stopped 44 of 48 shots. He’s been about as good as he possibly can be, and it still is nowhere near enough to steal a win for the Bolts.
It starts at the blueline with Anton Stralman and Victor Hedman. The shutdown pair which usually is able to handle the quickest of top lines with their smooth skating and fancy stick work. They have been spun around all series, though, surrendering an unusual amount of odd-man rushes and breakaways. The Lightning need their top pair to be their top pair, plain and simple.
The Penguins’ puck movement has been great. They have been dominant. It actually looks a lot like the Western Conference Final with the Blues and Sharks. The Sharks are clicking on another level. With the line slanted towards the Penguins in this game, it is looking betting on Pittsburgh is the safe way to go.
Prediction: Take the Pittsburgh Penguins to go up 3-1 in the series. Play the over. If this game is anything like the last one, this could be a much quicker series than previously anticipated.
