Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Florida Panthers Game 4 Prediction, Odds
With Saturday’s win, the Lightning cut the Panthers’ series lead to 2-1 while also halting a three-game overall losing streak. The Panthers saw their recent offensive woes resurface in their Game 3 loss and now find themselves riding a two-game losing streak on home ice for the first time since mid-January.
The Panthers once again get the nod from NHL oddsmakers, leading the way as -150 home favourites on the Game 4 odds and remain solid -275 chalk on the NHL playoff series prices. The Lightning trail as +125 underdogs on Monday’s NHL odds and have improved to a +220 bet to eventually win this series. The total for Monday’s game is listed at 5.5.
Lightning vs. Panthers NHL Playoff Betting Odds
For the third time in as many games in this series, the road team emerged triumphant in Tampa Bay’s victory on Saturday afternoon. That extends a trend that has seen the road club win five of the seven overall meetings between these rivals so far this season. In addition, the total in Monday’s clash is pegged at 5.5 for the fourth time in the past five head-to-head dates, bucking a trend that has seen these teams combine to score at least six total goals in seven of 10 matchups. However, the Panthers have struggled to produce consistent offence when hosting the Bolts, potting just three total goals over their past three visits from Tampa Bay and just 2.57 goals per game over their past seven. Indeed, apart from their impressive 6-2 win in Game 1, the Panthers have struggled to bury the biscuit, scoring two or fewer goals 12 times over their past 19 games overall. Conversely, the Lightning endured defensive breakdowns down the stretch, allowing four or more goals in five of their past eight outings and have managed to tally consecutive wins on the road just once while losing eight of their past 13.
Tampa Bay Lightning
Lightning goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has settled down considerably since getting rocked in the opening game of this series. Vasilevskiy was lit up for six goals on just 17 shots in a 6-1 Game 1 loss but has followed up with a pair of impressive performances, turning aside 54 of 56 total shots faced over the past two games. Unlike the first two games of the series, Vasilevskiy finally received some support from his teammates in Game 3. Jake Guentzel potted a crucial insurance marker early in the final frame and added a pair of assists, giving him a team-high four points in this series and has tallied eight points in seven overall dates with Florida so far this season.
Florida Panthers
The Panthers seized an early lead in Game 3 on Matthew Tkachuk’s third goal of the series but failed to maintain it despite outshooting Tampa Bay by a wide 34-22 margin. Florida has regularly faded in recent outings, scoring just two total goals after 40 minutes so far in this series and just three total third-period goals over their past seven games. Nagging injuries and a lack of discipline also remain a concern for the Panthers. Tkachuk missed the remainder of the regular season due to a groin injury suffered at the 4 Nations Face-Off, from which he may not have fully recovered. Tkachuk can also expect to face greater scrutiny from officials after laying a dirty hit on Jake Guentzel in the dying seconds of Game 3. Aleksander Barkov was on the receiving end of a nasty hit in Game 2 that earned Brandon Hagel a one-game suspension. Barkov played a regular shift in Game 3 despite being officially listed as questionable but proved to be a non-factor in that contests.
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