The Tampa Bay Lightning are concluding their four-game road trip with a match against the Columbus Blue Jackets. This game comes after a back-to-back set, so fatigue may be a factor. Denis Hildeby will likely be in goal for this matchup. While some view him as a downgrade from Andrei Vasilevskiy, Hildeby's statistics are fairly comparable and he is 3-0-1 this season.
The Blue Jackets, on the other hand, have lost two consecutive games and continue to struggle offensively. They are averaging just 2.44 goals per game on a little over 26 shots, and their powerplay is also underperforming -- adding to their offensive problems. Jet Greaves has been confirmed as Columbus' starting goalie, and his overall performance this season has been disappointing. If he allows a couple of early goals, the Blue Jackets are unlikely to have the offensive capacity to mount a comeback. Therefore, we expect the Lightning to finish their road trip on a positive note.
Lightning vs Blue Jackets prediction: Tampa Bay ML (-120) available at time of publishing. Playable at that price.
