Tampa BAE Lightning Game 78: This is it.
Literally, the most important game of the regular season.
The NHL season is 82 games long. 41 away, 41 home—usually. Maybe a special venue if you’re lucky. A lot of those games are important, but some are just stinkers or even scheduled losses.
But every team comes upon one game. One game that is going to define how their regular goes and how their playoff picture—if they make it—will look.
This is that game.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are playing the Toronto Maple Leafs tonight at 7 p.m. inside Amalie Arena. The Leafs are coming into Tampa after having faced the Panthers last night in Sunrise and losing by a final score of 3-1.
This game is absolutely massive for the Lightning. Win & they move into first place with the chance to finish out the season atop the Atlantic. Lose & they virtually guarantee themselves a 1st round match up with the Panthers (and maybe the Sens, but not as likely).
If the Lightning are really going to do the damn thing and go a run in the playoffs, being first is the easiest path forward.
Let’s look at the numbers here. The Maple Leafs have scored 3+ goals in 7 of their last 10, they have allowed 3+ just 4 times in their last 10, and are 7-2-1 in that stretch. This season they are 3-0 against the Bolts and have not scored less than 5 goals in each of those, allowing the Bolts to score 3 twice and 2 once.
This is a good Maple Leafs team that is going to be eager to bounce back, regain their form, and shut the door on the Bolts taking 1st place in the division. All signs point to a close, but tough loss for the Lightning tonight.
*EXTREMELY LEE CORSO VOICE*
NOT SO FAST MY FRIEND! GIVE ME THAT BUG HEAD!
I’M RIDING THE LIGHTNING TRAIN TONIGHT! I’M CALLING A WIN AND THE LIGHTNING COVER THE SPREAD!
LET’S F****ING GO! GO BOLTS! SEE YOU AT 7!
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