The battle of the Sunshine State continues Thursday night when the Tampa Bay broke into the FLA Live Arena to face the Florida Panthers. Read on for our picks and predictions Lightning-Panthers.
Consecutive Stanley Cup champions have shed their blood in the opener Tuesday night, taking home advantage with a 4-1 win. Nikita Kucherov scored a goal and an assist, and Andrei Vasilevskiy stood up between the posts, stopping 33 of 34 shots to ensure victory. Anthony Duclair scored the only goal for the Panthers.
The Trophy-winning Presidents of the Panthers edged out the regular-season series 2-1-1, but they now have to come back and overcome the two-time defending champions if they hope to hoist the Stanley Cup.
Here are my picks and predictions for Thursday’s Game 2 showdown between the Lightning and the Panthers (odds via DraftKings Sportsbook, Caesars Sportsbook and FanDuel Sportsbook; pick confidence based on a 1-5 star scale).
SEE ALSO: NHL Stanley Cup Playoff Second Round Lines and Picks
Lightning vs Panthers game information
Date: Thursday, May 19, 7 p.m. ET
TV: Sportsnet, Radio-Canada, TNT, TVAS
Location: FLA Live Arena, Sunrise, Florida
Lightning vs. Panthers Odds Analysis
The Panthers opened as -160 favorites, and the part of the money they deserve the lion, the line was stable at -160 with Caesars. If you expect that the Lightning returns home with a 2-0 lead in the series, the outsiders can be caught at +140.
With offensive talents distributed in two alignments, total goals is set at 6.5, the highest paying at -115, while the less you will earn -105.
Lightning’s pick vs. Panthers
- Panthers (-160 via Caesars) ★★★★
- Over 6.5 (-115 via DraftKings) ★★★★
- Aleksander Barkov Over 3.5 shots on goal (+118 via FanDuel) ★★★★
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Lightning vs. Panthers Predictions
Panthers (-160)
Momentum doesn’t always translate into the playoffs, and that’s a good thing for the Panthers. A Florida team that ranked in the top four in goals per game, Corsi in percentage, expected goals and expected goal percentage during the regular season should put in a bigger effort in Game 2.
Despite not lighting up the scoreboard in Game 1, the Panthers controlled possession, posting a 61 Corsi percentage, and they edged the Lightning in expected goals, expected goals against and expected goal percentage.
With a little more luck and a better effort in the third period, the Panthers should head to Tampa Bay with the series tied at one game apiece.
More than 6.5 (-115)
When a pair of elite offenses clash, there is always the possibility of a party at the red light. Of course, they combined for just five goals in Game 1, but the still attack the Panthers should make its appearance in Game 2.
In their four regular season meetings, the Lightning and Panthers averaged 8.5 goals per game, and they combined for 12 goals twice during the season series.
In the first round of the playoffs, the high-octane Lightning combined with the Toronto Maple Leafs for more than seven goals in five of seven games, while the Washington Panthers and Washington Capitals combination scored more than seven goals three times in seven games.
Barkov Over 3.5 SOG (+118)
Barkov was buzzing in the series opener but couldn’t get his name on the scoresheet. A Swiss army knife on skates, Barkov had five shots on goal in Game 1 and averaged 3.1 shots per game in the first round, topping three shots six times in seven games. With that kind of consistency throwing frozen rubber, it’s hard not to back Barkov to lead at least three shots on net.
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Lightning-Panthers selections made on 05/19/2022 at 6:41 a.m. ET.
