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The Florida Panthers look to take control of the series as they face the Tampa Bay Lightning. It's time to continue our Stanley Cup Playoffs odds series with a Panthers-Lightning Game 2 prediction and pick.
In game one of the series, the Panthers struck early. Sam Bennett scored 3:44 into the game to give the Panthers the lead. Jake Guentzel would tie the game, but Sam Reinhart gave Florida the lead in the period. In the second period, Nate Schmidt scored, and then Matthew Tkachuk scored twice in his return from injury. Brayden Point would get one back before the end of the period. Still, in the third, Nate Schmidt would score again, and the Panthers would win the game 6-2.
Here are the Panthers-Lightning Stanley Cup Playoffs odds, courtesy of FanDuel.
Stanley Cup Playoffs Odds: Panthers-Lightning Game 2 Odds
Florida Panthers: +1.5 (-245)
Moneyline: +105
Tampa Bay Lightning: -1.5 (+194)
Moneyline: -126
Over: 5.5 (-120)
Under: 5.5 (-102)
How To Watch Panthers vs. Lightning Stanley Cup Playoffs
Time: 6:30 PM ET/ 3:30 PM PT
TV: TBS/truTV/Max
*Watch NHL games LIVE with fuboTV (Get Access | Save $30)*
Why the Panthers Will Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Panthers is led by Sam Reinhart, who led the team in goals and points in the regular season. He finished the regular season with 39 goals and 42 assists, good for 81 total points. Reinhart also had 13 goals and 17 assists on the power play, plus five shorthanded goals. Reinhart had a goal and an assist in the first game. He is joined on the top line by Aleksander Barkov, who was second on the team in points. He finished the regular season with 20 goals and 51 assists, good for 71 total points. Barkov had two assists in the first game of the series. The line is rounded out by Carter Verhaeghe. Verhaeghe was fourth on the team in points, finishing the season with 20 goals and 33 assists. Verhaghe had an assist in game one.
Meanwhile, the second line is home to Sam Bennett and Matthew Tkachuk. Bennett was fifth on the team in points with 25 goals and 26 assists. Bennett had a goal and an assist in game one. Meanwhile, Tkachuk played just 52 in the regular season, but scored 22 times and had 35 assists, placing him third on the team in points despite missing 30 games. Tkachuk had two goals and an assist in game one. Finally, Anton Lundell will lead the third line. He finished the year with 17 goals and 28 assists.
It will be Sergei Bobrovsky in goal for the Panthers in this one. He was 33-19-2 on the year with a 2.44 goals-against average and a .906 save percentage. Bobrovsky stopped 20 of 22 shots in game one of the series.
Why the Lightning Will Cover the Spread/Win
The top line for the Lightning is led by Nikita Kucherov. He led the team in assists and points this season, finishing the year with 37 goals and 84 assists, good for 121 total points. Kucherov had an assist in game one. He is joined on the top line by Brayden Point, who, while finishing third on the team in points, led the team in goals. Point had 42 goals and 40 assists this year, good for 79 points. Point added a goal in game one. The line is rounded out by Yanni Gourde. Gourde had a goal and 13 assists in his 21 games with the Lightning.
Brandon Hagel and Jake Guentzel lead the second line. Hagel finished the year with 35 goals and 55 assists this year, sitting second on the team in points with 90 total points. Guentzel finished the year with 41 goals and 39 assists this year. Guentzel had a goal in game one. They are joined on the second line by Anthony Cirelli. Cirelli finished the year with 27 goals and 32 assists. Finally, Victor Hedman had 15 goals and 51 assists this year, good for 66 points, placing the blue liner fifth on the team in points. Hedman had an assist in game one.
Andrei Vasilevskiy will be in the goal for the Lightning in this one. He was 38-20-5 on the year with a 2.18 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage. Vasilevskiy was second in the NHL in wins, while sitting fourth in goals-against average and save percentage. He struggled in game one, allowing six goals on 16 shots.
Final Panthers-Lightning Prediction & Pick
The Lightning come in as favorites in terms of odds in this Stanley Cup Playoffs series game one. Andrei Vasilevskiy had a horrible game in game one of the series. It was the worst game of the season for Vasilevskiy, save percentage-wise. The Lightning also only had 22 shots on goal in game one. They had fewer shots just once in their last ten games of the regular season. The Lightning will get more shots on goal in this one and will rebound from a poor game one of the series.
Final Panthers-Lightning Prediction & Pick: Lightning ML (-126)
