Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning Game 6 Prediction, Playoff Odds
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Nik Kowalski
Rookie goaltender Spencer Knight has entered this series and has already made his presence felt after stopping 36 of 37 shots faced in Game 5 in the Battle of Florida. Knight’s Florida Panthers took Game 5 by a score of 4-1 to avoid elimination and force a Game 6 in Tampa Bay Wednesday night.
Over 11,000 Panthers fans added to what’s already been an electric series, featuring high-flying action in the offensive zones and a consistent physical play, all that was missing was some quality goaltending on Florida’s side. Now that they have that, the pressure is on the Tampa Bay Lightning to end the series at home. Puck drop is 8 p.m. EST.
Panthers vs. Lightning Stanley Cup Odds
Knight’s performance not only stopped the Lightning in their tracks, but it also ended an Over streak that was 3-1 in this series and hit in 14 of the last 19 Tampa Bay–Florida games. Oddsmakers still have the total for Game 6 listed at 6.0, but with Knight and Andrei Vasilevskiy manning each crease, suddenly that Over doesn’t look so enticing. The Lightning are -155 favourites to win in Game 6 on the NHL odds.
Special teams continue to play a major factor this series too, with Florida converting once on five power-play attempts and Tampa Bay not scoring on the man advantage for the second time this series. After five games, the Lightning are second in the NHL with a 41.2 power play percentage, and Florida in third at 30 per cent.
Florida Panthers
Knight came through with the puck-stopping in Game 5, but the Panthers skaters also supported their rookie netminder with some goals — and goals from guys not named Aleksander Barkov or Jonathan Huberdeau. Breakout defenceman MacKenzie Weegar scored his first Stanley Cup Playoff goal, while Mason Marchment potted his second of the series for the game-winner. Patric Hornqvist got Florida’s third tally and Frank Vatrano sealed it with an empty-netter.
Barkov and Huberdeau still had their fingerprints all over Game 5, as each player recorded two assists in the win. Huberdeau now leads all skaters with 10 points in five playoff games and Barkov is right behind with seven points.
Tampa Bay Lightning
When Ross Colton scored on Tampa Bay’s first shot of the game, 53 seconds in, the Lightning winning in five games seemed all but certain. Instead, the defending champs have been dealt their first hand of adversity in these playoffs and must win or else it’s back on the road for a Game 7.
Nikita Kucherov and Mikhail Sergachev both played in Game 5 after existing Game 4 with injuries. Kucherov had four shots Monday night but both players were held off the scoresheet. Keep in mind though, as three-point and four-point showings in Games 1 and 4 prove, Kucherov can go off at any time.
