NHL picks today: Our prediction and pick for Game 7 of the first round between the Lightning and Canadiens in the NHL Stanley Cup Playoffs.<\/p>\n
We have our first and last Game 7 of the first round of the 2026 NHL Playoffs, with the Lightning<\/a> playing host to the Canadiens<\/a> on Sunday night at 6:00 p.m. ET. On DraftKings Sportsbook<\/a>, Tampa Bay is a -170 home favorite on the Moneyline, and the game\u2019s total is set at O\/U 5.5 goals.<\/p>\n Below, I\u2019ll provide a Lightning vs. Canadiens Game 7 prediction and pick.<\/p>\n Lightning vs. Canadiens Game 7 prediction, preview<\/p>\n Game 6 went about exactly as you\u2019d expect \u2013\u2013 a 1-0 overtime win for the Lightning, which marks the fourth game of this series that required an overtime period. Now, it\u2019s time for a classic do-or-die Game 7 situation in Tampa Bay tonight. Andrei Vasilevskiy reminded us all who he was, stopping all 30 shots and securing his 10th career playoff shutout, and he\u2019s hard to bet against in a Game 7 situation. In fact, it\u2019s hard to bet against this Lightning team at all, as it is no stranger to win-or-go-home scenarios and has a clear edge in offense, defense and goaltending.<\/p>\n While that all remains true about the Lightning, nothing has really separated these two teams this postseason in terms of metrics. Game 1 featured five total power play goals, but these teams have gone a combined 4-for-40 on the power play since then. This has resulted in practically only 5v5 production for the past five games, and each team has netted nine 5v5 goals and ranks eighth (TB) and ninth (MTL) in 5v5 expected goal percentage. Jakub Dobes has been incredible this series and especially the past two games, stopping 70-of-73 shots for a .959 save percentage. It\u2019s a shame that this series was a first-round matchup because both of these teams deserve to advance.<\/p>\n Lightning vs. Canadiens Game 7 pick, best bet<\/p>\n