The Tampa Bay Lightning (47-27-8) travel to face off against the Florida Panthers (47-31-4) on Monday, April 28th. This game will be played at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise and televised on ESPN. 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 7:00 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 were underdogs on the puck line, and the total of 11 goals easily surpassed the pre-game line of 6.5 goals. Tampa Bay held a 2-0 lead early but couldn’t hold on, giving up four goals in the third period.

Four different players scored for the Lightning, with their last goal tying the game at 4-4. The Jets then pulled away with three unanswered goals. Tampa Bay’s defense struggled throughout, allowing two empty-net goals in the final period.

The Florida Panthers Are Coming Off A Win

Florida improved to 47-31-4 with a 4-2 win over the Stars. The Panthers covered the puck line as -1.5 goal favorites, and the total of 6 goals fell short of the 6.5 goal line.

All four of Florida’s goals came from different players, with Sam Reinhart’s empty net goal sealing the win. The Panthers led 2-0 before the Stars tied it, but A.J. Greer’s goal in the third period put Florida ahead for good.

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 in the second period, and Nikita Kucherov netted his 10th goal, scoring in the third period.

The Lightning took 30 shots on goal and recorded 8 giveaways. Tampa Bay’s offense was held scoreless for the final 12:22 of the game, after Kucherov’s goal tied it at 4-4.

Panthers Offense Breakdown

In their 4-2 win over the Stars, the Panthers’ offense was led by A.J. Greer’s first goal of the season. Sam Reinhart added his 10th goal on an empty net, while Matthew Tkachuk scored his 3rd goal earlier in the second period. Evan Rodrigues opened the scoring for the Panthers, netting his 3rd goal of the season.

Carolina took 25 shots on goal and recorded 16 giveaways. The Panthers’ offense was held scoreless until the 5:15 mark of the first period and added two more goals in the third period, including Reinhart’s empty-netter with 1:00 left in the game.

Tampa Bay Team Defense

Defensively, Tampa Bay struggled late, allowing the final three goals, including two empty-netters. The Lightning had tied the game at 4-4 with 6:51 left in the 3rd period, but they gave up the go-ahead goal just 47 seconds later. Jonas Johansson made 27 saves with a save percentage of 84.4%.

Florida Team Defense

After giving up two goals in the second period, the Panthers’ defense shut down the Stars in the third, helping secure a 4-2 win. Spencer Knight recorded 23 saves with a 92% save percentage, and the defense added 8 takeaways and 22 hits.

Lightning vs Panthers Trends

• The Lightning are 2-1 puck line in their three last road games and 2-1 straight-up.
• When looking at their past three home matchups, Florida has an puck line record of 0-3 while averaging 2 per game. The team went 1-2 overall in these games.
• Looking back on the team’s last five games as the underdog, the Panthers have a straight up record of 2-3. Their record vs the puck line in these games was 4-1.
• Going back to their previous three games as the favorite, Tampa Bay has an puck line mark of 1-2 while going 1-2 straight up.

Lightning vs Panthers Prediction

When making a moneyline pick, my choice is the Panthers to come out with a win against the Lightning while playing at home. Considering the moneyline odds at -144, I’m placing my bet on the Panthers to win outright.

If you’re looking for my recommendation on the puck line, I suggest taking the Lightning to cover. Even if the Panthers manage to win outright, this game is expected to remain competitive, and the Lightning should cover the puck line.

For those looking at the over/under line set at 5.5 goals, our expectation is that this game will surpass that mark, and we suggest making 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.