The Pittsburgh Penguins visit Tampa Bay in an Eastern Conference clash. Welcome back to NHL Predictions here with Last Word On Hockey. Each day, we provide in-depth analysis, insights, and predictions for games around the NHL. In tonight’s matchup, the Penguins and Lightning face-off for points in the Stanley Cup Playoff race.
NHL Predictions featuring the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Tampa Bay Lightning
Penguins Story
Pittsburgh comes into this game off a 5-1 win over the Detroit Red Wings. With the win, the Penguins are 6-3-1 over their last 10 games. Their overall record of 38-21-16 places them second in the Metropolitan Division. With a crucial set of wins on a back-to-back over the Red Wings and the New York Islanders, Pittsburgh has positioned themselves well in the playoff race. The Penguins will need to continue accumulating points in order to both lock down a playoff spot and gain home-ice advantage in round one.
Credit Image: © Luis Santana/Tampa Bay Times via ZUMA Press Wire
Depth was the name of the game for the Penguins over the last couple of games. Egor Chinakhov, acquired from the Blue Jackets earlier this season, scored a goal and an assist on the Red Wings. He has 15 goals and 28 points in 37 games with the Penguins. Another big story has been the play of Anthony Mantha. He scored two goals and four points over the two back-to-back games. The big winger has had a career year in Pittsburgh, scoring 30 goals and 58 points through 75 games. With the continued absence of fourth-line forward, Blake Lizotte, recent acquisition Elmer Soderblom continues to make a name for himself in the Penguins’ line. The 6’8″ forward has points in three straight games, along with a fight and multiple big hits.
Expect Arturs Silovs to start in Pittsburgh as Skinner appeared in the team’s last win. Silovs is 17-10-8 with an .891 save percentage. However, head coach Dan Muse did stray away from the rotation recently, with Stuart Skinner appearing in two straight games last week. This could indicate that the team is looking to make Skinner the primary goaltender of the team heading into the playoffs. As always, we recommend checking official lineups before placing any kind of bets.
Lightning Story
The Tampa Bay Lightning have had a resurgent season. However, they come into this game off a 4-1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. They are 6-2-2 in their last ten, with an overall record of 46–22-6 on the season. The Lightning sit second in the Atlantic Division, two points behind the Buffalo Sabres with a game in hand. With both teams potentially tied at 38 regulation wins, Tampa Bay would have the potential tiebreaker with 42 regulation-overtime wins to Buffalo’s 41. Tampa Bay is caught up in an important race, with their final positioning being the difference between facing a strong Atlantic division rival or a relatively weaker wildcard team.
Tampa Bay is led in scoring by the phenomenal Nikita Kucherov. Kucherov scored 40 goals and 121 points through just 68 games this season. Sitting four points behind Connor McDavid for first in league-scoring, watch for the Russian superstar to battle hard against Pittsburgh. The Lightning, however, boasts incredible depth behind him. Former Penguin Jake Guentzel has scored 36 goals and 81 points through 74 games, while the tenacious Brandon Hagel has 35 goals and 73 points in 69 games. One of the biggest stories this season for Tampa Bay has been the emergence of defenceman Darren Raddysh. Typically a third-pairing defenceman, Raddysh has exploded offensively this season with 20 goals and 66 points through 67 games. Watch for the pending free agent to continue making his mark in this game against the Penguins.
Expect Andrei Vasilevskiy to start in this game. One of the best goalies in the world, Vasilevskiy has continued to prove exactly why this year. He is 35-13-4 with a .912 save percentage this season.
NHL Prediction
Although Pittsburgh has been playing well, the Lightning are on another level of skill. Expect Tampa Bay to pull out a victory in front of their home fans.
Prediction: Lightning win 5-4
Prop Bet of the Night
Expecting another high-scoring game, a popular prop bet of goals over 7 with odds of +154 is a good one.
Main Photo: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions; some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.
