Best NHL Playoffs player prop bets for Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Montreal Canadiens Game 3: Kucherov dominates

Jun 5, 2021; Tampa, Florida, USA; Tampa Bay Lightning right wing Nikita Kucherov (86) celebrates as he scores a goal against the Carolina Hurricanes during the third period in game four of the second round of the 2021 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Amalie Arena.
Photo of Matthew Lowrimore

Matthew Lowrimore

NHL

Show Bio

Matthew has been with Pickswise for a while now, covering a wide variety of sports. His main passions are college football and UFC, and those are the sports he has covered the most. Matthew uses a variety of methods to handicap games, including stats, trends, injuries, and situational factors. His goal is to consistently give out winners and will put in the research to try and achieve this. For Matt Lowrimore media enquiries, please email contact@pickswise.com.
Read more about Matthew Lowrimore

The Stanley Cup Finals are well underway as the Tampa Bay Lightning held serve on home ice and took a 2-0 lead in the series the other night. Right now, we’re going to be focusing on NHL player props for that matchup, but make sure you also check out our picks on the side and total for this game and every game of the Stanley Cup Finals.

Nikita Kucherov Over 1 Point (+110)

We have gone to Brayden Point in both games in the series, but unsuccessfully as he did not score a goal in Game 1 and failed to record a point in Game 2. Tonight we are going to mix it up and stay away from Point. Instead, we are going to back Nikita Kucherov to have another big game. He has been the best player overall in this postseason, posting 30 points in 20 games so far. Even though he did not have a point in Game 2, Kucherov had three points in Game 1, which is more than what we are expecting tonight. Even if he only manages to record one point, we will still push this prop, so Kucherov’s point total going over is what we will look to tonight.

Nicholas Suzuki Over 2 Shots on Goal (-152)

Montreal has yet to really show up in this series, which is why they are down 0-2 and have been outscored 8-2 in the two games played. Because they have only scored two goals in the series, their offensive production is no doubt lacking compared to what we saw in every other series they played on their way to the Finals. Guys like Nicholas Suzuki, Tyler Toffoli, and Cole Caufield have recorded a combined one point, which does not bring much confidence that Montreal can come back in the series.

Given their situation, tonight we are going to back Suzuki to have a few shots on goal. While he did not have a shot on goal in Game 1, he had nine in Game 2. Needing just two to push this prop is very reasonable, especially knowing that Canadiens will likely need to be aggressive. For that reason, backing Suzuki to have over two shots on goal in Game 3 will be our official play.

Be sure to check out our full game preview for Montreal Canadiens vs. Tampa Bay Lightning

Pickswise is the home of free NHL picks and predictions. Make sure to also check out our NHL parlaysNHL best bets, and NHL props tabs for free plays throughout the playoffs.

Pickswise
*
By signing up you agree to our terms and privacy policy