Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Game 1 Prediction, NHL Odds
The Lightning clinched second place in the Atlantic Division and home ice advantage in this series with a decisive 5-1 win over Florida in their penultimate game of the regular season but struggled overall down the stretch, posting just three wins in their final eight games of the campaign. The Panthers limp into the postseason after struggling at both ends of the ice down the stretch, falling to defeat in 11 of their final 18 games including each of the final six road games on their schedule.
The Lightning are perched as slim -118 favourites on the Tuesday NHL odds but trail as razor-thin -105 underdogs on the NHL playoff series prices. The Panthers are a -102 bet on the Game 1 odds but lead the way as -115 betting chalk to claim the series win. The total is listed at 5.5.
Panthers vs. Lightning NHL Playoff Betting Odds
These Atlantic Division rivals split their four-game season series with each club earning a single win on the road but overall the Panthers have held a clear edge in regular season action, winning 11 of their past 18 regular season matchups including four of their past five visits to Tampa Bay. That success extended to the postseason a year ago, with Florida knocking off the Lightning in five games after claiming just two total wins in 10 games over the previous two playoff series clashes between these teams. However, the Lightning proved to be a dominant force on home ice down the stretch, winning 13 of their final 16 contests at Amalie Arena and regularly filled the net on home ice, averaging 5.14 goals per game over their final seven home dates. Conversely, steady production eluded the Panthers down the stretch. Hobbled by a rash of injuries, the Panthers scored an average of just 2.21 goals per game over their final 19 contests and enter the postseason sporting a mediocre 15th-ranked attack. The Panthers’ anemic offence has produced steady rewards for sports bettors taking the UNDER in totals betting, which has paid out in 18 of their past 25 outings.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers have been keeping quiet about the status of Matthew Tkachuk for Game 1. One of the heroes of the club’s march to Stanley Cup glory a year ago, with six goals and 16 assists, Tkachuk has been sidelined since the Four Nations Face-off since suffering a groin injury in the tournament and is expected to be a game-time decision. The continued absence of Tkachuk would be an enormous blow for the offensively-challenged champs, who also saw team captain Aleksander Barkov and Sam Bennett lose time to injury earlier this month. The Panthers will also be without Aaron Ekblad for the first two games of the series while he completes serving a 20-game suspension handed down in March after the veteran rearguard failed a PED test.
Tampa Bay Lightning
The Lightning enjoy a golden opportunity to draw first blood against a Panthers squad that may not be at 100% as they seek to reverse their scoring woes. Tampa Bay enters the playoffs after tallying 29 home wins this season, tops in the East, and have scored at least five goals six times over their final seven wins of the campaign. While Lightning shooters have steadily produced, Andrei Vasilevskiy has flashed vintage form in the crease. The veteran netminder has allowed two or fewer goals in six of his past eight starts and finished the season among the league leaders in wins, goals against average, save percentage, and shutouts. Up front, Nikita Kucherov powered the attack, racking up a league-leading 121 points including 84 assists. Kucherov is among a quartet of Bolts shooters that also includes Brayden Point, Jake Guentzel, and Brandon Hagel, which accounted for over 53% of the team’s goal production this season. However, the Lightning are winless in six straight when the star foursome fails to score.
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