Tampa Bay Lightning at Pittsburgh Penguins (A: +170, H: -200, O/U: 5.5)

Series tied 3-3

The Tampa Bay Lightning try to take the similar route they encountered last year for you to the Stanley Cup Finals once they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins for a deciding Game 7 on Thursday. The Lightning lost at home to the brand new York Rangers in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals in 2015 before winning at the road three days later because the franchise improved to 5-1 in Game 7s.

Brian Boyle said Tampa Bay must regroup and fellow forward Ryan Callahan reiterated the team’s confidence while Lightning coach Jon Cooper told reporters after Tuesday’s 5-2 loss: “They volleyed the ball into our court. Now it’s time for us to smash it back.” Tampa Bay, that's 5-2 at the road within the postseason and 2-1 at Pittsburgh on this series, was credited with 17 giveaways in Game 6 because the Penguins fed off their pressure and received a goal and an assist each from captain Sidney Crosby and Nick Bonino. Pittsburgh will attempt to reach the finals for the primary time since winning the Stanley Cup in 2008-09, when it won two Game 7s along the best way. “You undergo different experiences, and realize how hard it's to get most of these opportunities,” Crosby said. “As a group, we’ve been through a lot, and we wish to profit from it.”

TV: 8 p.m. ET, NBC Sports Network, CBC, TVAS

PROBABLE GOALIES:

Lightning - Andrei Vasilevskiy (W/L: 3-3, GAA: 2.88, SAVE %: .913)

Penguins - Matthew Murray (W/L: 10-4, GAA: 2.30, SAVE %: .926)

MATCHUP CHART:

ABOUT THE LIGHTNING (57-35-6, 41-11 O/U): Defenseman Victor Hedman, together with forwards Tyler Johnson and Nikita Kucherov, had a combined minus-11 rating in Game 6 as three of Tampa Bay’s top players typified an uncharacteristic defensive effort. “We had some breakdowns,” Cooper told reporters. “If we’re going to advance, playing defense goes to must be our mandate.” Kucherov leads the team with 11 goals and 19 points while the 6-foot-7 Boyle, who scored twice Tuesday to provide him a career-high five tallies within the playoffs, is slated to play his 100th postseason game on Thursday.

ABOUT THE PENGUINS (59-30-10, 45-36 O/U): Pittsburgh coach Mike Sullivan went back to Matt Murray in net Tuesday and the rookie rewarded him with 28 saves for his 10th victory of the playoffs. “He has a demeanor back there, a relaxing effect at the group in front of him,” Sullivan told reporters of Murray, who turned 22 on Wednesday. “I think his performance speaks for itself. He’s been thrown right into a tough situation, and he’s handled it extremely well.” Phil Kessel notched his sixth goal in seven games Tuesday and leads the team with 18 points within the postseason – three better than Crosby and Bonino.

TRENDS:

* Lightning are 5-1 of their last 6 road games.* Penguins are 10-2 of their last 12 Thursday games.* Under is 6-0-1 in Lightning last 7 following a house lack of 3 or more goals.* Over is 6-0 in Penguins last 6 after scoring 5 goals or more of their previous game.* Over is 21-4-3 within the last 28 meetings.

COVERS CONSENSUS: On the time of publication the Penguins are picking up 71 percent of the moneyline wagers for Game 7. While you have a look at the full picks, Over 5.5 is grabbing 59 percent of the action. View full consensus data here.

HOME TEAM ICE GIRLS:

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