By: Mike Fink Published 12/27/2025, 06:25 AM ET 
The Tampa Bay Lightning face the Florida Panthers in a matchup of two of the best teams in the NHL. The Lightning are 20-13-3 and with two wins in a row, they have the third-best record in the Atlantic Division. The Panthers are 20-14-2 and with eight wins in their last 10 games, they’ve gone from the bottom of the Eastern Conference to fourth in the Atlantic Division and into wild card position. Who will win this game? Check out our Panthers vs Lightning prediction!
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Terms & Conditions Tampa Bay has been great on both ends
The Lightning are having a great season with their offense stepping up and scoring 3.25 goals per game with 10 goals in the last two games. Nikita Kucherov and Jake Guentzel have scored 30 goals and 53 assists while defenseman Darren Raddysh has added eight goals and 19 assists from the point to open up the offense.
The offense has stepped up but the defense has also been incredible, allowing only 2.61 goals per game. JJ Moser and Darren Raddysh have combined for 5.3 defensive point shares while Emil Martinsen Lilleberg and Ryan McDonagh have combined for 2.7 defensive point shares to add depth to the unit. In addition, goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy has looked great in recent starts with only nine goals in his last four starts.
Key injury report for Lightning Brandon Hagel is on injured reserve. Has 18 goals and 13 assists. Victor Hedman is on injured reserve. Has 12 assists in is a key part of the defense. Panthers have turned season around thanks to offense
The Panthers have turned the season around thanks to their offense stepping up and scoring 3.19 goals per game with 19 goals in the last five games. Brad Marchand and Sam Reinhart have scored 39 goals and 39 assists while Anton Lundell, Carter Verhaeghe, and Sam Bennett have combined for 36 goals and 46 assists to add depth to the forward unit, making the Panthers offense tough to stop.
The offense has stepped up but the defense has struggled, allowing 3.14 goals per game. Seth Jones and Niko Mikkola have combined for 4.2 defensive point shares but the rest of the unit has struggled, allowing opponents to find open shots on the net at will. The bright spot has been the play of goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky as he’s stepped up lately, allowing only seven goals in the last four starts.
Key injury report for Panthers Matthew Tkachuk (groin) has returned to practice with hopes of returning in January. Is a key part of the forward unit. Lightning vs Panthers PickMoney Line Pick For Lightning vs Panthers Panthers (-110) (4 units)
The Panthers are playing great across the board and look to take over this game from the first period. The Panthers, who average 3.19 goals per game, should pile on the goals with Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, and the rest of the forward unit controlling the puck in the offensive zone while creating open shots with quick passes. The Panthers should limit the Lightning offense with Sergei Bobrovsky building off of four starts where he’s allowed only seven goals and blanking the shots on the net while defensemen Seth Jones and Niko Mikkola create turnovers in front of him. The Panthers should win the game with a strong performance on their home ice.
Take the Panthers money line as home Favorites.
Over/Under Pick For Lightning vs Panthers
The Lightning and Panthers have great offenses that look to make this game a high-scoring one from the opening puck drop. The Lightning, who average 3.25 goals per game, should pile on the goals with Nikita Kucherov, Jake Guentzel, and the rest of the forward unit carrying the puck into the offensive zone while creating open shots with quick passes. The Panthers, who have scored 19 goals in their last five games, should run up the score with Brad Marchand, Sam Reinhart, Sam Bennett, and the rest of the forward unit establishing a strong offensive zone presence while creating open shots with effective puck movement to overwhelm the Lightning defense. The Over should cover in a high-scoring game controlled by both offenses.
Take the Over on 6 goals.
The Lightning face the Panthers in the Battle of Florida and a matchup of two of the league’s best teams.
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