by Rod Pearson
Friday, Apr 19, 2024
Game Time: 12:30 pm ET, Sunday, April 21, 2024
Venue: Amerant Bank Arena, Sunrise, FL
Where to Watch: ESPN
Opening Odds at USA Sportsbooks
DraftKings: Moneyline: Lightning +142, Panthers -170; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Bet365: Moneyline: Lightning +142, Panthers -170; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
BetMGM: Moneyline: Lightning +142, Panthers -170; Over/Under: 5.5 goals
Season Record
Tampa Bay Lightning: 45-29-8 (4th place, Atlantic Division)
Florida Panthers: 52-24-6 (1st place, Atlantic Division)
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Recent Form
Tampa Bay Lightning: 5-4-1 last 10
Florida Panthers: 6-3-1 last 10
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers Preview and Analysis
The Lightning are entering this game with 98 points, a 45-29-8 record overall, and they were 20-18-3 in their road games this regular season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in their last game, winning that one at home 6-4. Anthony Duclair, Brandon Hagel, Nikita Kucherov, Nicholas Paul, Tanner Jeannot, and Brayden Point each scored 1 goal for them in that game. Steven Stamkos led the team in assists with 2 while Nikita Kucherov, Nicholas Paul, and Brayden Point each led the team in shots on net in that game with 4. Matt Tomkins was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 4 goals on 38 shots with 34 saves and a .895 save percentage. Their offense has scored 291 goals this season averaging 3.5 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 268 goals against them allowing 3.3 goals per game.
The Panthers are entering this game with 110 points, a 52-24-6 record overall, and they were 26-13-2 in their home games this regular season where they will be in this game. They are entering this game off a win against the Toronto Maple Leafs in their last game, winning that one at home 5-2. Sam Reinhart led the team in goals scored with 2 while Sam Bennett, Brandon Montour, and Carter Verhaeghe each scored 1 goal for them in that game. Aleksander Barkov and Matthew Tkachuk each led the team in assists with 2 while Matthew Tkachuk led the team in shots on net in that game with 8. Anthony Stolarz was the starting goalie in that game and he allowed 2 goals on 26 shots with 24 saves and a .923 sv percentage. Their offense has scored 268 goals this season averaging 3.3 goals per game and their defense has allowed their opponents to score 200 goals against them allowing 2.4 goals per game.
Lightning vs Panthers Prediction
The current betting odds have the Panthers listed as a favorite in this game according to Draftkings Sportsbook. This is game 1 of a 7 game series between the 1st seeded Panthers from the Atlantic Division and the 1st seeded Wild Card, the Lightning, for Round 1 of the NHL Eastern Conference playoffs. The Panthers have looked great in their games this season with their 52-24-6 record overall which saw them win their division in the East with one of the best records in the entire NHL, right in contention for the Presidents' Trophy up until the last week of the regular season. They have also looked great on home ice this year with their 26-13-2 home record. Meanwhile, the Lightning have looked good in their games this season with their 45-29-8 record overall, but that record only got them in the playoffs through the Wild Card. They haven't looked as good in their road games either with their 20-18-3 road record this season. The Panthers have been the hotter team coming into this one with their 6-3-1 record in their last 10 games while the Lightning were only 5-4-1. The Lightning have been the better team in the playoffs over the years but that Lightning team is long gone now and this is a Panthers team that went all the way to the finals last year before losing to the Golden Knights in the Stanley Cup Finals. The Panthers are going to have that motivation after getting so close last season and they will bring their best effort for game 1 against their same state rival here. The best way to place a bet here is on the Panthers to win this game.
Lightning Panthers Prediction: Our NHL Pick for Sunday, April 21, 2024 (12:30 pm ET start time) is Panthers 5 Lightning 4.
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NHL Betting Trends
Tampa Bay Lightning: 49-46 (-15.7 units) on the moneyline vs. division opponents. 11-17 (-10.6 units) on the moneyline off a win by 2 goals or more over a division rival. 26-26 (-9.1 units) on the moneyline after playing a game where 9 or more total goals were scored. 22-16 UNDER after one or more consecutive overs. 14-9 UNDER after playing 2 consecutive home games.
Florida Panthers: 169-108 (+12.4 units) on the moneyline in all games. 61-33 (+24.8 units) on the moneyline vs. division opponents. 59-30 (+15.3 units) on the moneyline off a home win. 19-7 UNDER vs. division opponents. 20-9 UNDER after one or more consecutive overs. 22-8 UNDER after scoring 3 goals or more in 3 straight games.
Key Injuries
Tampa Bay Lightning: T. Motte (C) Ques Sun - Lower Body. L. Glendening (C) Ques Sun - Undisclosed. V. Hedman (D) Ques Sun - Illness. H. Fleury (D) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed. J. Johansson (G) Late April - Lower Body. M. Sergachev (D) Early May - Leg. B. Seabrook (D) out for season - Shoulder. L. Brown (C) Out indefinitely - Undisclosed.
Florida Panthers: A. Ekblad (D) Prob Sun - Undisclosed. O. Ekman-Larsson (D) Ques Sun - Upper Body.
Notable Quotes
“It’s a special moment. Thanks to my teammates and coaching staff for putting me in position to have success. I’m fortunate to play with great players.” - Nikita Kucherov after their win against the Maple Leafs in their last game of the regular season on Wednesday.
“It's been a crazy year. I feel like, throughout the whole year, us and Boston were in the driver's seat leading the division and it's kind of gone back and forth the last few months. ... It means a lot to get home ice because it shows that we had a solid season and I'm glad there's something to show for it.” - Matthew Tkachuk after their win against the Maple Leafs in their last game of the regular season on Tuesday.
Starting Lineups
Tampa Bay Lightning
LW Duclair, Anthony
C Point, Brayden
RW Kucherov, Nikita
LD Hedman, Victor
RD Raddysh, Darren
G Vasilevskiy, Andrei
Florida Panthers
LW Tarasenko, Vladimir
C Barkov, Aleksander
RW Reinhart, Sam
LD Forsling, Gustav
RD Ekblad, Aaron
G Bobrovsky, Sergei
Statistical Leaders
Tampa Bay Lightning
Points: N. Kucherov (144)
Goals: B. Point (46)
Assists: N. Kucherov (100)
GAA: A. Vasilevskiy (2.90)
Florida Panthers
Points: S. Reinhart (94)
Goals: S. Reinhart (57)
Assists: M. Tkachuk (62)
GAA: A.Stolarz (2.03)
Coaches:
Tampa Bay Lightning: Jon Cooper (12th season)
Florida Panthers: Paul Maurice (2nd season)
Rod Pearson
About the Author:
Rod Pearson has been a rabid sports fan his entire life. He grew up in Ontario, and was skilled in both hockey and baseball, and pitched in an elite baseball league for many years. In 2022, Rod decided to hang up his glove, so that he could write about the sports he loves -- but from a gambling perspective. Join Rod every day as he breaks down the games to find the best betting value.
