Panthers lineup tonight: Florida’s projected lineup for Game 1 against Tampa Bay Lightning | Stanley Cup Playoffs, Round 1, April 22, 2025

By Evan Bell

Modified Apr 22, 2025 16:03 GMT

NHL: Florida Panthers at Tampa Bay Lightning - Source: Imagn — Looking at the Florida Panthers projected lines for tonight's game against the Tampa Bay Lightning (Image credit: Imagn)

Tonight, the Florida Panthers will look to kick off their Stanley Cup campaign with a showdown against the Tampa Bay Lightning. After going all the way and winning their first championship in franchise history last season, the team is eager to prove that they have what it takes to go back-to-back.

The Panthers will play the first two games of this series on the road after finishing the regular season in third place in the Atlantic Division's standings. The team will look to build some momentum ahead of what they hope will be a deep playoff run after closing out the regular season with a record of 3-6-1 over their last 10, which also notably saw them close out the regular season on a two-game skid.

Florida Panthers projected lines

Note: Lines subject to change, * indicates player is questionable

Forwards

Carter Verhaeghe - Aleksander Barkov - Sam Reinhart
Mackie Samoskevich - Sam Bennett - Matthew Tkachuk*
Eetu Luostarinen - Anton Lundell - Brad Marchand
Jeseper Boqvist - Nico Sturm - Evan Rodrigues

Defense

Gustav Forsling - Seth Jones
Niko Mikkola - Dmitry Kulikov
Uvis Balinskis - Nate Schmidt

Goalies

Sergei Bobrovsky
Vitek Vanecek

Powerplay

Matthew Tkachuk*, Aleksander Barkov, Sam Reinhart, Mackie Samoskevich, Seth Jones
Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Bennett, Brad Marchand, Evan Rodrigues, Nate Schmidt

Penalty Kill

Evan Rodrigues, Jonah Gadjovich, Gustav Forsling, Seth Jones
Anton Lundell, Eetu Luostarinen, Niko Mikkola, Dmitry Kulikov

Looking at the odds for Game 1 between the Florida Panthers and the Tampa Bay Lightning tonight

The bettors seem pretty divided on how things will play out.

On BallyBet, Tampa Bay has -117 odds while Florida has -104 odds. Meanwhile, over on DraftKings, Tampa Bay has -120 odds while the odds are even for Florida.

For example, a $120 wager on Tampa Bay may result in a $100 bonus bet if the Lightning win at home. On the other hand, any DraftKings wager on the reigning Stanley Cup champions would double if they won Game 1 tonight.

Considering how close odds are, don't be surprised to see some movement between now and puck drop, which is set for 8:30 p.m. ET tonight.

About the author

Evan Bell is a journalist specializing in the NBA and NHL at Sportskeeda, whose love for the game stems from a childhood spent watching the Chicago Bulls. He has been there through their highs and lows, from the Jordan era to the exciting Derrick Rose and Joakim Noah years.

Evan finds the 82-game season and the intensity of playoff basketball exhilarating, and he also revels in the offseason drama. Phil Jackson stands out as his favorite coach, whom he admires for his composed leadership and success in managing dynamic personalities like Dennis Rodman.

To deliver top-quality content, Evan fact-checks information while diligently keeping up with the action year-round.

When he's not writing, Evan follows tennis and Greek football, and also plays basketball and tennis.

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Edited by Krutik Jain