Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning 2/9/2023 Picks, Predictions and Previews
The Colorado Avalanche will take on the Tampa Bay Lightning in NHL action at Amalie Arena in Florida on Thursday, February 9, 2023, with the puck dropping at 7:00 PM ET. The Avalanche are currently in the midst of a three-game road trip and are coming off a disappointing 2-1 overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins. Despite the recent setbacks, the Avalanche have been in top form, boasting a 7-2-1 record in their previous 10 games and a fully healthy roster. Leading scorer, Mikko Rantanen, has been on fire with four points in his last three matches, bringing his season total to 61 points.
With Pavel Francouz between the pipes in the loss to the Penguins, it’s expected that Alex Georgiev will be tasked with guarding the net against the Lightning. Georgiev, with a 20-11-3 record and an impressive 2.60 GAA and .920 save percentage, has been solid between the pipes. Meanwhile, Francouz holds a 2.53 GAA and a .919 save percentage. The Avalanche have a 19th-ranked 3.1 goals scored per game average, while their defense ranks 10th in the league, allowing an average of 2.7 goals per game.
- Colorado is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games on the road against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
- The total stayed UNDER in 8 of Colorado’s last 12 games with an opponent in the East.
- The Colorado Avalanche is 5-2 SU in their last 7 games played in February.
Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning 2/9/2023 Picks, Predictions and Previews
The Tampa Bay Lightning face a test of resilience as they look to bounce back from consecutive losses, starting with a 7-1 road defeat to the Panthers and culminating in a 4-3 overtime defeat to the Sharks on home ice on Tuesday. The Lightning’s impressive 6-3-1 record in their last ten matches has seen them hold onto third place in the Atlantic Division, and the team will look to their star player, Nikita Kucherov, to lead the way. Kucherov’s nine points in his last five games, including two assists in Tuesday’s loss, has cemented his place as a top-four scorer in the league with a remarkable 75 points this season. Captain Steven Stamkos will also look to break out of his goal-scoring drought after being held scoreless in back-to-back games.
In goal for the Lightning will be Andrei Vasilevskiy, who will look to bounce back after a difficult performance on Monday. Despite the setback, Vasilevskiy’s outstanding season continues, with a 2.63 GAA, a solid .916 save percentage, and a 23-13-1 record overall. The Lightning rank seventh in the NHL for goal scoring, averaging 3.6 goals per game, and sit 13th in goals allowed, with an average of 3 per game.
- Tampa Bay is 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home against Colorado.
- The total went OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games with an opponent in the West.
- The total hung OVER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 matches played in February.
Colorado Avalanche vs Tampa Bay Lightning. The NHL pick for this game is the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Avalanche stumbled in their recent matches, dropping two of their last three outings including a 3-2 defeat to the Anaheim Ducks and an overtime loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday. With the Avalanche having defeated the Tampa Bay Lightning in the previous season’s Finals, the Lightning will be highly motivated to claim victory in this upcoming matchup. Furthermore, Tampa Bay boasts an impressive home record of 20-4-2, trailing only the Boston Bruins for the NHL’s best home team. Despite struggling in goal scoring, the Avalanche have a subpar xGF/60 minutes of 2.58 goals, while the Lightning sits second in the league with a formidable xGF/60 minutes of 3.02 goals. This significant difference in scoring is due to the teams’ contrasting strengths. The Lightning is projected to come out on top predicted at 7-3.
NHL Starting Time: 7:00 PM (EDT)
Location: Amalie Arena, FL
Date: Thursday, February 9, 2023
TV: ESPN
NHL Odds: Colorado Avalanche +118
NHL Totals: 6
