The NHL Eastern Conference Finals starts tomorrow (Monday, September 7th 2020).
Tampa Bay haven’t blown up in the NHL playoffs in typical fashion, which is a good sign if you’re a Lightning fan. TB have eliminated the Blue Jackets (4-1) and Bruins (4-1) who were Stanley Cup contenders.
I have to admit, I didn’t expect the Lightning to beat up on the Bruins like they did. They lost the first game of the series (3-2), but they won four in a row, outscoring Boston 17-7 in those four wins.
The New York Islanders eliminated the Panthers (3-1), Capitals (4-1) and Flyers (4-3).
Odds to Win the NHL Eastern Conference Finals 2020
Bet on the NHL ECF series and every single game at America’s Bookie (USA accepted).
Here are the odds to win the series:
New York Islanders (+170) vs. Tampa Bay Lightning (-200)
Place a NHL Playoffs Bet at the Safest Sports Betting Sites.
The Lightning should be favored, but are they being hyped up a little too much?
NYI won the regular season series (2-1). They won the first two head-to-head meetings (5-2 and 5-1), but the Lightning won the last H2H game back in February (3-1).
The first couple games in this series will be important. Will the Islanders be at 100% after going the distance against the Flyers? Will the Lightning be at full speed after not playing for a week?
Could Steven Stamkos Return?
What’s even more unbelievable about the Lightning’s run in the 2020 NHL playoffs is that they have done it without Steven Stamkos. He’s still recovering from a lower body injury.
TB coach Jon Cooper reported that Stamkos could return in the ECF, but there’s no timeline.
Offensive depth is a bit of concern for the Lightning heading into this series. Brayden Point (18P) and Nikita Kucherov (16P) are the only two players on TB that have 10+ points in the playoffs.
The Islanders have five players with 10+ points in the playoffs.
Josh Bailey (17P), Brock Nelson (15P) and Mathew Barzal (13P) lead the way for NYI. Point leads TB in goals (6), while Anthony Beauvillier (8G) leads the Islanders. After scoring 18 goals in 68 games this season, Beauvillier has been a big surprise for the Islanders in the playoffs.
Lightning Have Edge in Goaltending
Andrei Vasilevskiy is the best goalie in the NHL. He won the Vezina last season and he has been great in the playoffs – posting a 10-3 record with a 1.91 GAA and .931 SV%. While TB definitely have the edge in net, Semyon Varlamov has also been great during the NHL playoffs.
Varlamov is 9-4 with a 2.00 GAA and .921 SV% during the playoffs.
Both goaltenders are capable of stealing games in this series.
Access Free NHL Picks, Game Previews and Live Odds.
Islanders vs. Lightning Series Pick
I’m betting on the Islanders to pull off the upset here.
If they can keep Point and Kucherov limited in this series, they’ll definitely advance.
Even if they continue dominating, the Islanders have a chance. On paper, these two teams have been performing very similarly throughout the playoffs and the value is on the Islanders at plus money.
Best Bet: New York Islanders to Win the Series (+170)
