NHL Betting Preview: Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Game 2 Odds

The Pittsburgh Penguins will be looking to bounce back from a 3-1 home loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Final last Friday and hope to have some more luck come their way in Game 2 on Monday.

Tampa Bay goaltender Ben Bishop is considered questionable after leaving Game 1 on a stretcher due to a leg injury, which is one of the reasons Pittsburgh is a -200 favorite (bet $200 to win $100) for Monday at sportsbooks monitored by Odds Shark as the team tries to even the series.

Bishop was injured in the first period of Game 1, stopping all nine shots he faced, before backup Andrei Vasilevskiy relieved him and made 25 saves. Vasilevskiy has been called upon in big spots before, as he stepped in for Bishop in last year’s Stanley Cup Final against the Chicago Blackhawks when he got hurt in Game 2 and then starting Game 4.

The Penguins would like to take advantage of the situation after blowing an opportunity in the series opener and try to avoid losing the first two games at home, which is something that could be devastating to their chances of hoisting the Cup.

They entered the Eastern Conference Final as the favorite to win it all but have seen their odds go from -200 to win the series down to -130 at the sportsbooks following the Game 1 loss.

Since losing Game 1 of their second-round series with the New York Islanders at home, the Lightning have struck back with five consecutive wins and seem poised to defend their Eastern Conference title versus a talented Pittsburgh team.

The Pens managed only one goal by Patric Hornqvist on the power play in the second period of Game 1 on assists from Sidney Crosby and Phil Kessel, who both need to light the lamp more if they are going to move on to the final round.

Crosby and Kessel are the team’s two leading scorers in the postseason, but Hornqvist tops them with six goals.

Tampa Bay got goals from Alex Killorn, Ondrej Palat and Jonathan Drouin to build a 3-0 lead in the second period of Game 1 and then relied on Vasilevskiy to do the rest, as he outplayed Pittsburgh rookie goalie Matt Murray.

The under cashed for just the second time in 16 meetings, ending a 7-0 over run, according to the Odds Shark NHL Database.