Tampa Bay and Montreal meet with series tied 2-2

The Montreal Canadiens (48-24-10, in the Atlantic Division) will face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning (50-26-6, in the Atlantic Division) in a crucial Game 5 matchup in Tampa, Florida on Wednesday at 7 p.m. EDT. The Lightning are favored with a -171 line, while the Canadiens come in as the underdogs at +143, with the over/under set at 5.5 goals.

The series is currently tied 2-2, making this game a pivotal moment for both teams as they battle it out in the first round of the NHL Playoffs. This will be the ninth meeting between these two teams this season, with the Lightning coming out on top in the previous matchup with a 3-2 victory, thanks to a standout performance by Brandon Hagel who scored two goals.

Tampa Bay has had a strong season, posting a 50-26-6 record overall with an impressive 18-9-3 record in Atlantic Division games. The Lightning have been solid on both ends of the ice, scoring 286 goals while only giving up 229, resulting in a +57 scoring differential.

On the other hand, Montreal has also had a successful season, going 48-24-10 overall with an 18-10-2 record against the Atlantic Division. The Canadiens have excelled in close games, boasting a 21-7-6 record in one-goal games.

Key players to watch in this matchup include Nikita Kucherov for the Lightning, who has been a scoring machine with 44 goals and 86 assists. Hagel has also been on fire recently, tallying seven goals and one assist in his last 10 games. For the Canadiens, Lane Hutson has been a standout with 12 goals and 66 assists, while Juraj Slafkovsky has contributed four goals and five assists in his last 10 games.

In their last 10 games, the Lightning have posted a 4-4-2 record, averaging 2.4 goals and 4.3 assists per game. Meanwhile, the Canadiens have gone 5-4-1, averaging 2.4 goals and 4.6 assists per game.

In terms of injuries, the Lightning will be without Charle-Edouard D’Astous (day to day, undisclosed), Victor Hedman (out, personal), and Pontus Holmberg (out, upper-body). On the Canadiens side, Patrik Laine (out, abdomen) and Noah Dobson (out, thumb) will be sidelined for this matchup.

As the series is deadlocked at 2-2, both teams will be looking to gain the upper hand in Game 5 to take control of the series. With so much on the line, expect an intense and competitive matchup between these two Atlantic Division rivals.