The Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8) travel to face off against the Florida Panthers (47-31-4) on Saturday, April 26th. This game will be played at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise and televised on TBS. The Panthers are coming off a win in their previous game, while the Lightning are looking to get back on track from a loss to the Jets. Puck drop is set for 1:00 ET.

Lightning vs Panthers

The Tampa Bay Lightning Look To Bounce Back From A Loss

Tampa Bay fell to 47-27-8 after a 7-4 loss to the Jets. The Lightning led 2-0 early, but Winnipeg responded with seven of the next nine goals. Tampa Bay was the underdog on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5 goals.

Four different Lightning players found the net, with their last goal tying the game at 4-4 in the third period. However, the Jets pulled away with three unanswered goals, including two empty-netters.

The Florida Panthers Are Coming Off A Win

Florida’s 4-2 win over the Stars brought their record to 47-31-4. The Panthers covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals fell short of the 6.5 set before the game.

All four of Florida’s goals came from different players, with A.J. Greer breaking the tie at 2-2 with a goal at 2:32 in the third period. Sam Reinhart added an empty-net goal at the 19:00 mark to seal the win.

Tampa Bay Offense Breakdown

Brandon Hagel opened the scoring for the Lightning with his 7th goal of the season, followed by Brayden Point’s 8th, which came on a power play. Mitchell Chaffee added his 4th goal, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th in the third period to tie the game 4-4.

Tampa Bay fired 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. The Lightning were held scoreless in the first 6:49 of the game before Hagel found the net.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

Carolina’s offense produced 4 goals on 25 shots in their 4-2 win over Dallas. A.J. Greer netted his first goal of the season, while Sam Reinhart added his 10th on an empty net. The Panthers also got goals from Evan Rodrigues, who now has 3 on the year, and Matthew Tkachuk, who also scored his 3rd, this time on a power play.

Carolina had 16 giveaways but managed 8 takeaways. They scored once in the 1st period, added another in the 2nd, and finished with two more in the 3rd.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Despite taking a 4-3 lead in the 3rd period, Tampa Bay’s defense struggled late, allowing four goals to the Jets, including two empty-netters. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with an 84.4% save percentage.

Florida Team Defense

Florida’s defense gave up two goals to Dallas, both coming in the second period. Spencer Knight made 23 saves with a 92% save percentage, while the Panthers’ defense recorded 8 takeaways and 22 hits.

Lightning vs Panthers Trends

• Across the Lightning last ten road games, the team averaged 3 goals per game while allowing 2. Their record vs the puck line in these contests was 3-7, while going 4-6 straight-up.
• In their last three games at home, the Panthers have a straight up record of 2-1 while going 1-2 vs the spread. The team averaged 3 goals per game in this stretch.
• The last ten games that Florida was the underdog, they have an puck line mark of 7-3 while going 4-6 straight up.
• Going back to their last five games as the favorite, the Lightning have a straight up record of 2-3. But, their mark vs the puck line was just 2-3.

Lightning vs Panthers Prediction

For a moneyline pick, I’m taking the Panthers to pick up on a win over the Lightning at home. With the moneyline sitting at -140, I’ll be locking in a bet on the Panthers straight-up.

If you’re looking for a puck line bet, I’d suggest going with the Lightning to cover. Even in the event of a Panthers victory, this game is expected to be closely fought, and the Lightning should cover the puck line.

If you’re looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our prediction is that this game will exceed that mark, and we strongly advise placing a bet on the over.

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All odds are courtesy of Action247 Sportsbook. Good luck!!

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* All odds are provided by Action247 Sportsbook and all odds subject to change.**All views expressed are my own. My picks are my own and are not a guarantee, bet at your own risk.Action247 does not warrant the accuracy of completeness of the information, text, graphics, links or other items contained within these post.