Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins Game 7 Odds and Predictions – Free NHL Picks 4-27-11

Free NHL Playoffs Picks and Odds – Game 7 Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins Favorite, Moneyline, Total and Predictions 4/27/11: The Tampa Bay Lightning have proved the entire league and insiders alike in getting to game 7 in Pittsburgh. Many had this team folding after going down 3-1 in the series, but they have led an aggressive campaign of hard fought hockey to get back into contention. Steven Stamkos had a monster of a game 6, the sophomore phenom notched two tallies in the Lightning’s’ 4-2 win at the St. Pete Times Forum. Being inserted on the top line in his first NHL playoffs, he really took a back seat early in the series’ and his game was not indicative of his regular season. Now 6 games in, Steven Stamkos has quickly adapted to NHL playoff action and is now in prime position to lead his club on to the next round. He is creating turnovers in the neutral zone and is not afraid to battle it out in the corners, traits that did not follow him though the regular season schedule. Vincent Lecavalier is heating up at just the right time and he himself has seen an increase in production. His big body presence is causing mismatches whenever he takes to the ice and his frame in front of the net is giving Marc-Andre Fleury all he can handle. Dwayne Roloson has been great in the latter half of this series and he is rounding into his playoff form. For such a young club, the Tampa Bay Lightning are playing some veteran style playoff hockey and there is no reason to cast them off in game 7.

Game seven appearances have come to be a forte of the Pittsburgh Penguins in recent playoff experiences and they will now enter into another one tonight with the Tampa Bay Lightning after blowing the last two games. Up 3-1 in the series, the Pittsburgh Penguins may have come a bit too over confident and there aggressive play was noticeably absent in their recent losses. Their pursuit of the puck became weak and their defensive back check may have been played a bit too conservatively. Not to take anything away from the Lightning and their success, but the Pittsburgh Penguins did not play up to their potential and now are paying the consequences entering into a game 7 with all the momentum on the side of the Lightning. Marc-Andre Fleury has been, by far, the worst goalie thus far in the Stanley Cup playoffs. His 2.77 GAA and 16 goals allowed is the worst among starting goalies in the playoffs right now and he is on record pace to be the worst goaltender, statistically, to enter into the second round of competition. His confidence is evidently rattled and the Lightning are having a field day picking the corners on him. Defensively, the Penguins have not been giving Fleury the easiest of games to back stop and Dan Bielsma will need to address his clubs’ defensive ineptness before the start to tonight’s game. The physicality is absent and the movement from the back end to the front is just not where it needs to be. The Penguins will need to jump out to a fast start tonight to slow the momentum of the Lightning and ease back into their game of tightly fore-checked hockey and timely scoring.

The complimentary selection tonight lies with the Tampa Bay Lightning(Check the latest NHL Odds at SBG Global Sportsbook) on road ice. Tampa Bay has proven that they have the speed and toughness to outlast the Penguins for three periods and I expect the momentum gained though the previous two wins to ride into the game tonight. Steven Stamkos has finally adjusted to NHL playoff hockey and his game is getting increasingly lethal. He is not only getting the puck in the net, but he is also setting up his teammates with prime scoring opportunities on a constant basis. Dwayne Roloson is giving the Lightning every opportunity to win and he has an outstanding track record of game 7 appearances. The Penguins simply do not look confident with their captain out of the line up and there is no one that has willingly assumed his role to this point. Tampa Bay is 10-4 SU in its last 14 games and is 6-2 SU in its last 8 games on the road. We will consider the Lightning moving on tonight in a tightly contested tilt. Cheers!

Free Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning +120(moneyline)
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