Can The Lightning Tame the Panthers in Game 3?
Panthers vs Lightning Predictions Lean on Hosts
Will The Panthers Have Forward Sam Bennett Available For Game 3?
Carter Verhaeghe is the gift that keeps on giving for the Florida Panthers. Verhaeghe scored for the second game in a row against his former team and now has five overtime goals as the Panthers have won 10 straight playoff overtime games. When making the Panthers vs Lightning prediction, remember that the game is currently a Pick’em.
Recent NHL scores show that Tampa Bay has won both of its previous playoff series against Florida and was 4-1 at home in the 2021 and 2022 matchups.
It is a bit risky, but the host Lightning are priced +215 to cover at -1½ against the puck line.
When looking at the NHL futures odds, the Panthers are tied for second at +500 in the odds of winning the Stanley Cup. The Lightning come in at +9000 in the championship odds. The NHL playoff odds have the Panthers at -900 to win the series.
Keep on reading for more on a key Game 3 matchup between Atlantic Divison rivals Florida and Tampa Bay.
Panthers vs Lightning 
Records: Florida Panthers (52-24-6) vs Tampa Bay Lightning (45-29-8)
Location: Amalie Arena, Tampa, FL
Day/Time: Streaming: TBS
Panthers Turning It On
There is something about playoff hockey that brings the best out of the Panthers.
Florida lost five of its last eight one-goal games during the regular season. It has been a different story in the first two games of the series with the Lightning.
The Panthers were 10-2 in one-goal games on the way to the 2023 Stanley Cup Final. They were at their best in overtime, winning all seven games that needed more than 60 minutes to declare a winner. Keep that in mind when it comes to the Panthers vs Lightning prediction.
Florida had one of the best marks against the spread on the road during the regular season, covering 27 of 41 road games.
The Hits Keep On Coming
It didn’t take very long for the playoff intensity to pick up when division rivals Florida and Tampa Bay got together in another Stanley Cup Playoff series.
There were 121 hits and 10 combined power plays in Game 2 and expect similar numbers heading into Game 3.
Each team scored on the power play but is just 4-for-15 with the man advantage. The NHL teams could be gaining confidence in the ability to kill penalties and that could lead to things getting even more physical.
Tampa Bay led the NHL by converting on 28.6% of its power plays in the regular season. Florida was eighth with a 23.5% success rate on the power play. That is something to consider when looking at the Panthers vs Lightning prediction.
After going 1-for-6 on the power play in Game 2, the Lightning will need to pick things up in Game 3 at home to avoid being pushed to the brink of elimination and avoid being swept for the first time in five years.
Just 14 of the Panthers’ 41 road games went over the total while 22 of Tampa Bay’s home games went over.
Panthers vs Lightning Injury Update
Sam Bennett left Game 2 for Florida with an upper-body injury and is questionable for Game 3 for the Panthers. Forward Ryan Lomberg missed the last game due to illness and is questionable as well.
Defensemen Mikhail Sergachev, Haydn Fleury, and forward Logan Brown are out for the Lightning.
Panthers vs Lightning Betting Preview
If not for an empty-net goal in the final game of the regular season between the teams, four of the last five meetings between the Panthers and the Lightning would have been decided by one goal. Will things be any different in Game 3 when it comes to the NHL predictions?
Each of the last eight playoff games between the Panthers and the Lightning went under the total and with a total set at 6 goals, perhaps a third straight game will end up as a 3-2 final.
Tampa Bay has allowed the most goals during the NHL regular season than any of the playoff teams. The defense hasn’t been the issue so far with just four goals scored in the first two games.
The teams are 77-40-5 as the favorites this season compared to a 16-27-9 record as underdogs so keep an eye on the odds to see if there is a shift to one of the teams being favored.
The total has gone under in seven of the last eight games for the Panthers. The total is at 6 goals for this matchup.
Tampa Bay is 6-3 in its last nine home games while Florida has won just two of its last seven games on the road. That is enough to go with the Lightning in this matchup.
Panthers vs Lightning Betting Lines
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