{"id":481237,"date":"2026-01-03T15:25:49","date_gmt":"2026-01-03T20:25:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=481237"},"modified":"2026-01-03T15:25:49","modified_gmt":"2026-01-03T20:25:49","slug":"nhl-predictions-tampa-bay-sharks","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2026\/01\/03\/nhl-predictions-tampa-bay-sharks\/","title":{"rendered":"\u00a0NHL Predictions: January 3rd : Tampa Bay Lightning versus the San Jose Sharks"},"content":{"rendered":"

Each day, our writers here at Last Word On Hockey<\/i> 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 San Jose Sharks<\/span> in San Jose, CA. Don\u2019t forget to check out more NHL Predictions, as our writers continue this series throughout the 2025\u201326 season<\/i>.<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions<\/b><\/h2>\n

San Jose Sharks vs Tampa Bay Lightning<\/h3>\n

2025\u201326 Season Series:<\/span> First game<\/h3>\n

Time:<\/span><\/strong> 4:00 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)<\/p>\n

How to watch<\/strong>:<\/span> The Spot, NBCSCA<\/p>\n

Location<\/strong>: SAP Center at San Jose, San Jose, CA<\/span><\/p>\n

Overview<\/strong><\/h2>\n

The Tampa Bay Lightning<\/a> (24-13-3)<\/span> continues their West Coast road trip against the San Jose Sharks<\/a> (20-17-3)<\/span> in what should be a strange mixture of elite offence\u00a0vs. rebuilding zeal<\/i>. Tampa Bay is one of the NHL\u2019s better scoring teams (3.35 goals per game<\/span>) and boasts a top 3 penalty kill, while San Jose sits mid-tier offensively and near the bottom of the league in goals against. \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The Sharks are on a three-game win streak, following a strong night from rookie Macklin Celebrini<\/a> (goal and assist).<\/span> Contributions from Jeff Skinner and Igor Chernyshov’s goals powered a 4-3 SO win over the Minnesota Wild. \u00a0Yaroslav Askarov<\/a> made 20 saves,<\/span> including the key block in the overtime shootout.<\/p>\n

Tampa Bay Lightning Outlook<\/b><\/h2>\n

Tampa Bay\u2019s offence stayed hot on their West swing, as <\/span>Darren Raddysh<\/a> scored an overtime winner in a 4-3 victory over the Anaheim Ducks, rallying the Bolts for their fifth straight win<\/i>. <\/span>Brayden Point<\/a>, Nikita Kucherov, and J.J. Moser<\/a> also scored, with <\/span>Andrei Vasilevskiy<\/a> turning aside 25 shots in net. <\/span>The Bolts are led by elite skaters such as Nikita Kucherov (54 points), Jake Guentzel<\/a> (41 points), and Brandon Hagel<\/a> (35 points)<\/span>, who provide a blend of creativity and finish that can make even a tired defence look like it\u2019s playing dress-up.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Keys to Victory \u2013 Tampa Bay<\/b><\/h2>\n

NHL Predictions thinks the Bolts need to dominate transition play. <\/span>San Jose allows more shots than most teams, so the Lightning should push the pace and make the Sharks chase garbage pails full of pucks. Stay out of the penalty box;<\/span> keeping the Sharks\u2019 young power play off the ice keeps the game simpler and cleaner. Finish quality chances:<\/span> Tampa\u2019s elite forwards need to cash in early and often, especially against a Sharks roster that trades speed for heart. If the Lightning can avoid lapses in coverage and generate high-danger chances in waves, i.e., like a chef dumping extra paprika into a stew because why not, <\/i>they\u2019re well positioned to come out with a win.<\/p>\n

San Jose Sharks Outlook<\/b><\/h2>\n

San Jose is the NHL\u2019s equivalent of that unpredictable indie band you think<\/i> will break big any day now, and some days they do. Macklin Celebrini<\/a> has been sensational (62 points, 22 goals)<\/span>, leading the Sharks in points and earning an Olympic roster nod. The Sharks can score (3.05 goals per game<\/span>) but have struggled defensively (3.45 goals per game, 30th in league<\/span>), and their blueline is less Houdini and more magician\u2019s assistant who occasionally gets sawed in half.\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span>Yaroslav Askarov<\/a> has been capable between the pipes (15-10 win-loss), and San Jose\u2019s recent win over Vancouver showed the offence can hit when it wants to. Yet consistency remains the biggest challenge for this young, energetic squad.\u00a0 <\/span><\/p>\n

Keys to Victory \u2013 San Jose<\/b><\/h2>\n

NHL Predictions thinks the Sharks need to surprise the Lightning early. <\/span>\u00a0If Celebrini and Eklund find space early, San Jose can build confidence and force Tampa out of its rhythm. Get goaltending to steal moments:<\/span> Askarov needs to make big stops early and often to give the Sharks a shot at hanging around. Limit odd-man rushes:<\/span> Against Tampa\u2019s skilled attackers, avoiding defensive breakdowns is less \u201cgood idea\u201d and more \u201clife hack.\u201d<\/p>\n

NHL Predictions: Who Takes the W?<\/b><\/h2>\n

This game feels like a classic NHL cross-conference dance-off<\/i>: Tampa\u2019s precision offence vs. San Jose\u2019s charming chaos. The Sharks can absolutely spoil the party, but the powerhouse Bolts want to extend their win streak to six games.<\/p>\n

Prediction:<\/b> Lightning 4, Sharks 2<\/b><\/b><\/p>\n

Tampa\u2019s firepower eventually overwhelms San Jose\u2019s youthful push.<\/p>\n

Prop Bets of the Night<\/b><\/h2>\n

Always check updated lineups and odds before finalizing any bets or DFS rosters.<\/i><\/i><\/p>\n

Lightning Team Prop \u2013 Over 3.5 Goals (-130):<\/b><\/span> With Tampa\u2019s offensive depth, seeing four or more feels more \u201crecipe of excess\u201d than risk.<\/p>\n

Sharks Anytime Scorer \u2013 Macklin Celebrini (+125):<\/b><\/span> When the Sharks score, he\u2019s probably involved.<\/p>\n

Final Thoughts<\/b><\/h2>\n

Expect a spirited tilt in San Jose as the Lightning try to extend their West Coast road success and the Sharks look to prove they\u2019re more than December\u2019s favourite dramatic arc. Bring your popcorn, your sense of humour, and maybe a backup plan for overtime.<\/p>\n

Main photo by: Stan Szeto-Imagn Images<\/em><\/p>\n

Please play responsibly, check for your local rules and age restrictions; some jurisdictions require ages 21+. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER.<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n

 <\/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. 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 San Jose Sharks […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5453,"featured_media":481244,"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":[4524,4547,4548,25,9],"tags":[7817,7710,6060,6391],"class_list":["post-481237","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-nhl-predictions","category-hockey","category-nhl","category-sharks","category-lightning","tag-darren-raddysh","tag-macklin-celebrini","tag-san-jose-sharks-predictions","tag-tampa-bay-lightning-predictions"],"modified_by":"Dan Mount, Editor","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481237","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=481237"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481237\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":481246,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/481237\/revisions\/481246"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/481244"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=481237"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=481237"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=481237"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}