Lightning vs. Hurricanes Pick
NHL betting action sees the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Carolina Hurricanes on Monday January 27th at PNC Arena. Cappers Picks provides free NHL handicapping tips all season long.
NHL Predictions
Tampa vs. Carolina
Date/Time: Monday, Jan. 27 2015, 7:30 pm EST
Venue: PNC Arena, Raleigh NC
Broadcast: NBCSN
Tampa, Carolina (no odds yet listed)
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The Battle of the Tropical Weather Phenomena teams (sorry, that was awful) features a Tampa Bay squad that is the class of the Atlantic division taking on the home team Hurricanes, limping along in the Metropolitan.
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For this to be more than a trade showcase for Eric Staal, the Hurricanes will have to play an inspired game.
The Lightning are among the best teams in the league thanks to Steven Stamkos – one of the NHL’s most dynamic players – as well as Alex Killorn and Tyler Johnson.
They are so dangerous because even when goal-scoring beast Stamkos isn’t giving opposing goaltenders a sunburned neck, Tampa Bay still wins hockey games. The Bolts are a point up on Detroit for tops in the Atlantic and they look like a lock to make the postseason.
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With “Stammer” on the top line, it isn’t surprising that Tampa Bay leads the league in goals per game (averaging 3.2 per).
Then, there’s the Hurricanes. It’s been a miserable campaign in the Carolina Tidewater region. The ‘Canes are shopping Staal, long the face of the franchise, as they struggle to find an identity and a consistent fanbase.
Carolina is eighth in the Metro, and its biggest problem is an inability to find steady scoring. The Hurricanes barely crack an average of two markers per contest as they are in the opposite situation of the Lightning.
Combine that with an abysmal power-play unit, and Carolina’s solid goaltending and penalty kill pretty much goes for naught. How bad is it? Defenseman Justin Faulk is the team’s second-leading scorer. That’s not Duncan Keith or Erik Karlsson, folks.
Maple Leafs cast-off Jiri Tlusty trails Staal in scoring, second in the race with 11 goals. Not exactly a rousing endorsement.
The Hurricanes have a couple of pieces; despite my earlier derision, Faulk is a good young blueliner. Centers Elias Lindholm and Riley Nash look pretty good, and you need to build up the middle in hockey.
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Yet, there’s work to be done and it will not be done in time for Monday night, when the Bolts come to town.
On top of the aforementioned players, Russian youngster Nikita Kucherov is having a breakout year for Tampa, with 17 goals and 43 points. Veteran Ryan Callahan is also having a turn-the-clock back year, with 35 points.
With character guys like Brian Boyle and promising youngsters like Jonathan Drouin also in the fold, the Lightning could be a dangerous club for a long time. The combination of veterans and youth conjures back memories of when the Chicago Blackhawks started taking off at the beginning of this decade.
NHL 4* Free Play: Tampa Bay 4, Carolina 1
Look for the Lightning to again showcase why they are the Atlantic division’s elite, while Carolina continues to plot draft strategy for this coming off-season.
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