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The Tampa Bay Lightning face off against the Florida Panthers in Game 5 of the NHL Playoffs East first round on Monday. The Panthers lead the series 3-1.
The game will take place at Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida at 7 p.m. ET, and it will be broadcast on ESPN, SN, TVAS, BSSUN and BSFL.
In their most recent clash on Saturday, the Lightning secured a 6-3 victory at the Amalie Arena. In their past 10 head-to-head meetings against the Lightning, the Panthers have won seven.
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The Lightning must win this game to extend their season and push for a Game 6 on Wednesday.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers: Game preview
The Tampa Bay Lightning are 45-25-8 overall and hold a 13-11-6 record in the Atlantic Division. The Lightning perform well when their opponents commit more penalties, boasting a 20-9-3 record in such games.
The Lightning are averaging 3.25 goals per game and allowing 3.5 goals per outing. Their power play success rate is 23.5%.
Captain Steve Stamkos leads the team with five goals and six points, along with 14 shots on goal. Both Victor Hedman (six points) and Nikita Kucherov (six points) have contributed six assists each.
Brayden Point (10 shots on goal) and Nicholas Paul (12 shots on goal) have each scored two goals. In goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy holds a 1-3-0 record, with a 3.01 GAA and a .899 SV%. He has faced 119 shots and allowed 12 goals.
Meanwhile, the Florida Panthers boast a strong overall record of 52-24-6, including 20-6-4 against the Atlantic Division. When they keep their penalty minutes in check, they have dominated with a 23-5-1 record.
The Panthers offense has been dominant, scoring 14 goals across the four games in this playoff series and are determined to advance to the second round for a third consecutive season.
On average, they score three goals per game while allowing just two goals. Their power play efficiency stands at 33.3%.
Carter Verhaeghe leads Florida with three goals and three assists for six points and 14 shots on goal, while Matthew Tkachuk has three goals and four assists for seven points and 15 shots on goal, while Sam Reinhart has three goals and 18 shots on goal.
Sam Bennett, Steven Lorentz and Brandon Montour each scored one goal. In the net, Sergei Bobrovsky is 3-1-0 with 3.21 GAA, and a .874 SV% and has allowed 13 goals on 103 shots faced.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers: Injury report
Tampa Bay have Hayden Fluery and Jonas Johansson unavailable due to upper body and lower-body injuries respectively.
Meanwhile, for the Panthers, Sam Bennett is dealing with upper-body injury, while Ryan Lomberg is out due to illness and listed as day-to-day.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers: Head-to-head and significant numbers
The Tampa Bay hold a 9-5-0 advantage in playoffs against the Panthers.
In faceoffs, the Panthers have a 50.2% success rate, while the Lightning trail slightly at 49.8%. In penalty kills, the Panthers maintain a solid 76.5% success rate, surpassing the Lightning's 66.7%.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers: Odds and prediction
The Panthers, having secured 48 wins in 69 games, enter this game as the odds favorites. When facing odds below -182, they hold a 20-10 record, and their odds of winning this game stand at 64.5%.
Meanwhile, the Lightning have a history of defying the odds, winning 13 of 32 games as the underdogs. For this game, they face longer odds at +152, meaning a 39.7% chance of victory.
Prediction: Panthers 3-1 Lightning
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers: Betting tips
Tip 1: Panthers to win in 60-minutes
Tip 2: Total goals over 4.5: Yes
Tip 3: Matthew Tkachuk over 4 shots on goal: Yes
Tip 4: Brayden Point to score first: Yes
Tip 5: Lightning to beat the spread: No
Hot Betting Tip: Matthew Tkachuk, playing for the Florida Panthers, has been a consistently provided one assist or more in the last four straight home games and the chance to bet on his assists with favorable odds of 1.87 for the line could be covered.
