{"id":462980,"date":"2025-02-25T08:15:24","date_gmt":"2025-02-25T13:15:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=462980"},"modified":"2025-02-25T00:00:32","modified_gmt":"2025-02-25T05:00:32","slug":"nhl-predictions-february-25th-tampa-bay-lightning-vs-edmonton-oilers","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2025\/02\/25\/nhl-predictions-february-25th-tampa-bay-lightning-vs-edmonton-oilers\/","title":{"rendered":"NHL Predictions: February 25th Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Edmonton Oilers"},"content":{"rendered":"

Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey<\/em> takes a look at the games that are scheduled and offers insight and analysis to help predict who will be victorious in head-to-head matchups. In today\u2019s NHL Predictions round, we look at Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Edmonton Oilers.<\/p>\n

This matchup features two teams with Stanley Cup aspirations and high-powered offenses. The Lightning are trying to solidify their position in the Eastern Conference playoff picture, while the Oilers are in a battle for seeding<\/a> in the West. Both teams boast elite scoring talent. If you like fast-paced hockey, highlight-reel plays, and goalies questioning their life choices, this game is for you.<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions<\/h2>\n

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Edmonton Oilers<\/h3>\n

Time:\u00a0<\/strong>7:30 P.M.<\/p>\n

TV:\u00a0<\/strong>ESPN+, Hulu<\/p>\n

Head-to-Head: Oilers Lead 1-0<\/h4>\n

The two teams met in December<\/a>. Behind Connor McDavid<\/a> and Leon Draisitl led the way for the Oilers in a 2-1 win. The two teams will conclude the season series Tuesday in Tampa Bay. Of course, it is possible these two teams will meet up in the Stanley Cup Final this season.<\/p>\n

Lightning: Keys to Victory<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Bolts were victorious in their last game on Sunday<\/a>. The Lightning are led by Nikita Kucherov<\/a><\/strong>, who is having another MVP-caliber season. His ability to create offence from anywhere on the ice makes him the “Wizard of Ahhhh’s”. Alongside Brayden Point<\/a>, the Bolts have one of the league\u2019s most potent forward groups.<\/p>\n

A major key to victory will be special teams dominance. Tampa\u2019s power play has been clicking at over 26%, and considering Edmonton\u2019s penalty kill sometimes looks like they\u2019re on a sightseeing tour, the Lightning should take full advantage.<\/p>\n

Defensively, Victor Hedman<\/a> and crew have their work cut out for them. They\u2019ll be seeing a lot of McDavid, which is a nightmare matchup for any team. If Hedman can slow him down even a little\u2014maybe throw a banana peel in McDavid\u2019s path\u2014Tampa will be in good shape. In goal, Andrei Vasilevskiy<\/a> will need to be at his best. The Oilers fire shots like they\u2019re trying to break a high score at an arcade. two points.<\/p>\n

Oilers: Keys to Victory<\/strong><\/h4>\n

The Oilers are on a small losing streak that dates back to before the 4 Nations Face-Off. Their last game<\/a> was an ugly one against the Washington Capitals<\/a>. Behind an Alex Ovechkin<\/a> hat trick, the Capitals won, 7-3. Step one: Let McDavid do McDavid things. Connor\u2019s faster than a caffeinated squirrel. If Tampa\u2019s defence gives him too much space, the Lightning might need an exorcist rather than a goaltender.<\/p>\n

The Oilers need to control the pace of play to win. Tampa Bay thrives in high-scoring games, but Edmonton has the speed and skill to dictate the tempo. If the Oilers can use their transition game to put pressure on Tampa Bay\u2019s defense, they can create plenty of scoring opportunities.<\/p>\n

Edmonton\u2019s netminders have been a question mark this season, with Stuart Skinner<\/a> taking most of the starts. If Skinner can keep Tampa\u2019s top line in check, the Oilers will have a strong chance at victory.<\/p>\n

Prediction<\/strong><\/h4>\n

This game has all the makings of a high-scoring affair. Both teams feature superstar talent, elite power-play units, and goaltenders capable of stealing a game. However, Tampa Bay\u2019s defensive structure and goaltending give them a slight edge.<\/p>\n

Expect McDavid to skate faster than the camera can keep up, but a fast-paced contest with plenty of chances at both ends of the ice should favor Tampa. Ultimately, Tampa Bay\u2019s ability to convert on the power play and Vasilevskiy\u2019s goaltending should be the difference in a close game.<\/p>\n

\u00a0Tampa Bay 4, Edmonton 3 (OT)<\/em><\/p>\n

Prop Bets of the Night<\/strong><\/h3>\n

We round out NHL predictions with some prop bets of the night. Let\u2019s go to our featured game for some of our best picks for Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Edmonton Oilers:<\/p>\n

    \n
  • Kucherov \u2013 Over 1.5 Points (-110)<\/strong>\n
      \n
    • Betting against Kucherov getting multiple points is like betting against the sun rising. Just take it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • McDavid \u2013 Over 3.5 Shots on Goal (-120)<\/strong>\n
        \n
      • He skates at warp speed, has the puck all game, and loves to fire lasers at the net. This one\u2019s a\u00a0no-brainer.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
      • Over 6.5 Total Goals (-105)<\/strong>\n
          \n
        • With these offenses? Yeah, this could be hit by the second period.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

          Who will come out on top in this heavyweight showdown? Stay tuned for more NHL action as the season rolls on!<\/p>\n

          Main Photo: Perry Nelson- Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n

          Please play responsibly. Check for your local rules and age restrictions. Some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Have a gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

          Welcome back to NHL Predictions. Each day, Last Word on Hockey takes a look at the games that are scheduled and offers insight and analysis to help predict who will be victorious in head-to-head matchups. In today\u2019s NHL Predictions round, we look at Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Edmonton Oilers. This matchup features two teams with […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5453,"featured_media":463059,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4547,23,9],"tags":[139,138,42],"class_list":["post-462980","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hockey","category-oilers","category-lightning","tag-connor-mcdavid","tag-edmonton-oilers","tag-tampa-bay-lightning"],"modified_by":"Andrew Willis","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462980","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5453"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=462980"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462980\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":463064,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/462980\/revisions\/463064"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/463059"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=462980"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=462980"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=462980"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}