{"id":423694,"date":"2026-01-23T14:28:12","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:28:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/423694\/"},"modified":"2026-01-23T14:28:12","modified_gmt":"2026-01-23T14:28:12","slug":"a-star-studded-affair-with-bolts-and-hawks-on-a-friday-night","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/423694\/","title":{"rendered":"A Star-Studded Affair with Bolts and Hawks On a Friday Night"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis. Our team breaks down the key matchups, storylines, and stats, then makes predictions based on how they might play out. For this edition, we will look at the Tampa Bay Lightning taking on the Chicago Blackhawks<\/a> at the United Center. Don\u2019t forget to check out more NHL Predictions, as our writers continue this series throughout the 2025\u201326 season.<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions Overview<\/p>\n

2025\u201326 Season Series: Blackhawks 1, Lightning 0<\/p>\n

Time: 7:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)<\/p>\n

How to Watch<\/a> TV: ESPN<\/p>\n

Location: United Center in Chicago, Illinois.<\/p>\n

The Tampa Bay Lightning (31-13-4) hit the road to face the Chicago Blackhawks (21-22-7) in what looks like a classic speed versus scrappiness matchup. Tampa enters the game as one of the top offences in the league, winning 13 of 14. Chicago, playing in its 100th season, sits below .500 but features dynamic young talent in Connor Bedard<\/a> and Tyler Bertuzzi<\/a>, who will try to light a spark in front of its home crowd.\u00a0 This season\u2019s only matchup in Chicago saw the Blackhawks steal a 3\u20132 win in late October thanks to two goals from Ryan Donato<\/a>, including the late go-ahead tally.\u00a0 <\/p>\n

Tampa Bay Lightning Outlook<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay<\/a>\u2019s offence continues to hum, as the Bolts are averaging well over 3.50 \u00a0goals-per-game this season and are particularly dangerous with elite talent like Kucherov, Brayden Point<\/a>, and Jake Guentzel<\/a> on the ice. \u00a0Tampa Bay is riding one of its most impressive stretches of the season. The Lightning recently extended their point streak to 14 games. Nikita Kucherov<\/a> notched his 72nd point of the season. Goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy<\/a> continues his excellent form between the pipes. The Lightning\u2019s defence and goaltending (anchored by Vasilevskiy) give them stability on the back end, and Tampa\u2019s depth scoring makes them tough to stop when they get rolling.<\/p>\n

Keys to Victory for Tampa Bay<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions thinks \u00a0Tampa doesn\u2019t just score in bunches, they score early, forcing opponents into uncomfortable chasing hockey. The Bolts need to neutralize Chicago\u2019s transition. The Blackhawks love to generate offence off rushes and odd-man chances. Limiting those will stifle Chicago\u2019s best opportunities. Then there\u2019s special teams discipline. Their penalty kill percentage, 84.2, is third in the league. Tampa\u2019s power play doesn\u2019t need many chances to pay off, and avoiding penalties will keep Chicago\u2019s momentum down.<\/p>\n

Chicago Blackhawks Outlook<\/p>\n

Chicago is still in a building phase, with Connor Bedard (48 points)\u00a0 leading the club in points and providing highlight-reel potential on any given night. Bedard\u2019s combination of scoring and playmaking makes the Blackhawks dangerous, especially in even-strength play. Chicago enters this matchup tempered by recent results. The Blackhawks are middle-of-the-pack in the Central Division and have hovered around a .500 level. In contrast, they have shown flashes, particularly when Connor Bedard heats up, and when veterans like Tyler Bertuzzi make their presence felt on both ends.\u00a0However, inconsistencies on defence and goaltending have kept this team from stringing together stretches of wins. Chicago will need to tighten gaps and capitalize on turnovers if they\u2019re going to hang with a depth-heavy Lightning squad.<\/p>\n

Keys to Victory from a Chicago Perspective<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions thinks the Hawks need to find offence off the rush. Chicago\u2019s best bet is quick, opportunistic goals generated before Tampa gets set. If they\u00a0control traffic in front of Vasilevskiy, they can make this a game. \u00a0Screening and chaos near the crease could be a ticker-tape parade if Tampa lets them get comfy. Finally, finish defensive shifts cleanly. Limiting odd-man breakouts and sustained Tampa pressure will keep this game closer. Chicago has a penalty kill percentage of 84.6, second in the league.<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions: Who Takes the W?<\/p>\n

This matchup has pace, momentum, and a little bit of redemption drama after Tampa\u2019s earlier loss here. Tampa\u2019s star power and recent form make them favourites, but Chicago\u2019s Bedard-led attack can flip a game if given room.<\/p>\n

Prediction: Lightning 5, Blackhawks 2<\/p>\n

Tampa\u2019s speed and depth overwhelm Chicago, but expect Chicago to put up a fight early.<\/p>\n

Prop Bets of the Night<\/p>\n

This is great time for our disclaimer. Please make sure to always check updated lineups and betting lines before placing wagers or finalizing daily fantasy starting rosters.<\/p>\n

Lightning Team Prop \u2013 Over 3.5 Goals (-125): With Tampa\u2019s scoring firepower and Chicago\u2019s defensive lapses, multiple goals seem likely.<\/p>\n

Blackhawks Anytime Scorer \u2013 Connor Bedard (+140): Bedard\u2019s top-line production and threat level make him a great \u201canytime goal\u201d pick.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/p>\n

This cross-conference matchup blends elite offence with youthful energy. Tampa wants to sustain its point streak and make a statement. Meanwhile, Chicago wants to defend home ice and show it\u2019s not just a speed bump. Expect speed, skill, and occasional breakaway chaos as both teams chase puck luck.<\/p>\n

Main Photo Credit: Jamie Sabau-USA TODAY Sports<\/p>\n

Please play responsibly, check local jurisdictional age restrictions and betting rules. If gambling problems arise, call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey look at the games and give in-depth analysis.…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":423695,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[5105],"tags":[30639,508,5,189,4,1335,540,92,1318,5168,5167],"class_list":{"0":"post-423694","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-tampa-bay-lightning","8":"tag-chicago-blackhawks-predictions","9":"tag-connor-bedard","10":"tag-hockey","11":"tag-lightning","12":"tag-nhl","13":"tag-nikita-kucherov","14":"tag-tampa-bay","15":"tag-tampa-bay-lightning","16":"tag-tampa-bay-lightning-predictions","17":"tag-tampabay","18":"tag-tampabaylightning"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"https:\/\/channels.im\/@nhl\/115944889048031140","error":""},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423694","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=423694"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/423694\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/423695"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=423694"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=423694"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nhl\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=423694"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}