Lightning vs Islanders Game 6 Odds and Picks – Tampa Bay Favored to Advance to Stanley Cup Final
- The Tampa Bay Lightning are -150 road favorites to defeat the New York Islanders in Game 6 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series on Wednesday, June 23
- A victory will put defending champion Tampa Bay back in the Stanley Cup final
- Since 2000, only three reigning champs have returned to the final the next season
As the Tampa Bay Lightning look to finish off the New York Islanders in Game 6 of their Stanley Cup semifinal series there’s a legitimate question in need of answering. How do the Isles rebound from the punishment they absorbed in Game 5?
An 8-0 loss to the Lightning leaves the Islanders down 3-2 in this best-of-seven series and down to their last lifeline in this round of the postseason. The best thing they have going for them is that they’re going home.
|
Promo: Bet $5, Get $200 in Bonus Bets + NBA No Sweat SGP | Learn More |
|
Promo: Bet $5 Get $150 in Bonus Bets | Learn More |
|
Promo: Up To $1,500 in Bonus Bets Paid Back | Learn More |
The Islanders are 5-3 straight up at home in the postseason, but oddsmakers are going with the Lightning as the chalk for Game 6. Tampa Bay has been established as the -150 away favorite. The Lightning are 5-2 SU as the road chalk in the playoffs. Make sure to check out the latest sportsbook promos to optimize your winnings.
Lightning vs Islanders Game 6 Odds
| Team | Moneyline | Spread at DraftKings | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tampa Bay Lightning | -150 | -1.5 (+175) | O 5.0 (-132) |
| New York Islanders | +130 | +1.5 (-215) | U 5.0 (+108) |
Odds as of June 22
The puck is scheduled to drop at 8 PM EST at the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum. NBCSN is carrying Wednesday’s broadcast. Considering that the Isles are moving to a new arena next season, it could be the final game they play in this rink.
Lightning Bolts to Huge Advantage
Tampa Bay’s dominant attack simply overwhelmed the Islanders in Game 5. Captain Steven Stamkos scored twice and collected three points.
Brayden Point scored to become the second player in NHL history to post an eight-game goal streak in one postseason. Philadelphia’s Reggie Leach had a 10-game goal-scoring run with the 1967 Flyers.
Playoff scoring leader Nikita Kucherov (5-22-27) collected three-plus assists in a game for the third time in the playoffs.
Tampa Bay set a franchise record for goals in a playoff game.
Islanders vs Lightning Series Odds
| Team | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| New York Islanders | +500 |
| Tampa Bay Lightning | -770 |
Islanders Picking Up The Pieces
The Isles had played their game through most of the first four games of this series. They held the potent Lightning to two goals or less in three of the four games.
In Game 5, they lost track of their discipline after falling behind 3-0 in the opening frame. The Isles took four straight penalties in the second period and Tampa Bay’s potent power play (39.2%) struck for a pair of goals.
OH MY#Isles Mathew Barzal cross-checks #GoBolts Jan Rutta up high.
Under review
🎥 @NHLonNBCSports pic.twitter.com/3fPbIn6Lpa— Fuck Dave Portnoy ⬇️ (@TheReplayGuy) June 22, 2021
In the third period, forward Mathew Barzal was assessed a cross-checking major and game misconduct for hitting Tampa Bay defenseman Jan Rutta up high. The lone bright spot for the Isles might be that Barzal wasn’t suspended. He was issued a $5,000 by the NHL Department of Player Safety on Tuesday.
Semyon Varlamov got the hook after allowing three goals on 16 shots in the first period. Rookie Ilya Sorokin was left to absorb the rest of the night’s punishment likely means that coach Barry Trotz intends to go with Varlamov in Game 6.
Injury Update
Lightning defenseman Erik Cernak (upper body injury) missed Game 5 and is questionable for Game 6. Luke Schenn took his place and scored a goal. Rutta (undisclosed) is also being listed as questionable to play in Game 6.
Jon Cooper didn't have an update on the status of Erik Cernak or Jan Rutta for Game 6 today. Said he'll have an update after tomorrow's morning skate. #TBLvsNYI #Bolts
— Bryan Burns (@BBurnsNHL) June 22, 2021
The Islanders report no new injuries.
Lightning vs Islanders Game 6 Best Bet
Tampa Bay is looking to join the New Jersey Devils (2001), Detroit Red Wings (2009,) and Pittsburgh Penguins (2017) as defending champs who got back to the final the next season.
Since the start of the third period of Game 4, the Lightning have outscored the Islanders 10-0. The eight-goal setback is the worst playoff defeat ever suffered by the Isles. Tampa Bay is the only team in this year’s playoffs to record a shutout in each round of postseason play.
The @TBLightning recorded the eighth time in #StanleyCup Playoffs history in which a team scored eight or more goals in a shutout win.#NHLStats: https://t.co/LePoSB4Ksh pic.twitter.com/CMlD3tFe8M
— NHL Public Relations (@PR_NHL) June 22, 2021
Tampa Bay is 11-1 when scoring first in the playoffs. The Lightning ended up joining the 1944 Montreal Canadiens (11), the 1985 Edmonton Oilers (9), 1947 Detroit Red Wings (8), and 1972 Bruins (8) as NHL teams to win a final four Stanley Cup game by a margin of at least eight goals. Of that group, all but the Red Wings won the Cup.
Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning (-150)
An industry veteran, Bob literally taught the course on the history of sports at Elder College. He has worked as a Sports Columnist for Postmedia, appeared as a guest on several radio stations, was the Vice President of the Society For International Hockey Research in Ontario, and written 25 books.
