This is a 10* BLOCKBUSTER on the Montreal Canadiens.

This is definitely an interesting match-up, as a situational handicapper these are exactly the types of games that I keep my eyes open for. Montreal would bounce Tampa Bay out of the first round of the playoffs last year, which would normally make this a "revenge scenario." However that's not the case in my opinion here, as the Lightning would in fact get their "revenge" after sweeping all four regular season contests from the Habs. I feel that the "revenge factor" has now swung back into Montreal's hands. Revenge is indeed a powerful motivating factor and while this will hardly be a cake-walk, I think that Montreal finds a way to take care of business at the end of the day. The Habs have had a few days off to rest, while the Lightning are coming off a hard-fought seven-game series victory over the Wings and their reward is an immediate road-trip, so from a situational stand point this also definitely works in our favor. The Lightning get the slight nod offensively, the Habs get the big nod defensively and between the pipes. In my opinion, this is the very definition of great line value, play on the CANADIENS.

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