Bolts Flame Out at Home vs Calgary
The Calgary Flames fans will always have a bit of hatred for the Tampa Bay Lightning. After all, in 2004 the Flames from the hockey hotbed of Canada lost the Stanley Cup to the Lightning in seven games. To lose the national sport’s most coveted prize to a team from a city where ice is for drinks and snow comes in a can at Christmas had to add insult it injury. The Flames fan can take a bit of satisfaction in a 4-1 win on Tampa Bay last night that hurts the Lightning greatly in the NHL Playoff race.
The loss drops the Bolts in a tie with the Montreal Canadiens with seven games to go for second place in the Atlantic Division. The Flames are just a team playing out the rest of the schedule and getting ready for the draft. How does a team with everything to play for lose 4-1 to an also ran on their home ice? It is hard to figure. Lightning goalie Ben Bishop had an awful time of it. In the first period he basically had an assist on his own goal as he put the puck right on the stick of Calgary’s Michael Cammarelli who sent it home for the 1-0 lead. Former Lightning goalie Kari Ramo had 31 saves in his first game back in Tampa Bay since being traded away to the Canadiens five years ago.
In the most interesting race in the Eastern Conference, the Columbus Blue Jackets are trying to catch the Philadelphia Flyers for the third spot in the Metropolitan Division. They trail by only two points 87-85 for the third spot which would get them out of the Wild Card pool. That is important because the Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings are right there with the Jackets and could both wind up taking the two Wild Card spots, locking the Jackets or Flyers out of the playoffs. The third place team will make the playoffs regardless.
On Thursday, the Blue Jackets went into Philly and shut out the Flyers 2-0. Jackets goalie Sergei Bobrovsky stopped 37 shots for the shutout as Columbus got their first win in Philly this season. In fact it was their first win ever in Philadelphia as they improved to 1-5-1 there all time. James Wisniewski broke a scoreless tie in the second period with a power play goal and Brandon Dubinsky scored 3:20 into the third period for the 2-0 win.
The Blue Jackets will host the Chicago Blackhawks tonight. Top Bet has the Blue Jackets +1.5 -285 and the Blackhawks -1.5 +245 ATS. Moneyline is Columbus EVEN and Chicago -120. We are going to go with the Blue Jackets EVEN to win tonight. The crowd will be rocking in Columbus tonight.
