Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning Picks and Predictions December 23rd 2024

Panthers Rolling, Aim to Sweep Home-and-Home vs. Lightning

The Florida Panthers seem to have recaptured their Stanley Cup-winning form, riding a four-game winning streak into the conclusion of a home-and-home series with the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday in Sunrise, Fla.

Florida set the tone in Sunday’s opener with a gritty 4-2 road win that showcased the team’s high-energy, defensive-minded identity under coach Paul Maurice. For star forward Matthew Tkachuk, the Panthers’ recent success stems from their effort and ability to execute Maurice’s hard-nosed style of play.

“We’ve got to play a little harder and to our identity a little bit more,” Tkachuk said earlier this week, summing up the Panthers’ ethos.

Reinhart Leading the Way

While Aleksander Barkov remains the Panthers’ offensive engine, setting the pace with a ninth career overtime winner on Friday against the St. Louis Blues, it’s Sam Reinhart who continues to shine as Florida’s primary finisher.

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Reinhart has built on his career-high 57-goal, 94-point campaign last season, tallying 22 goals and 23 assists so far this year. He leads the NHL with four short-handed goals and has proven lethal on special teams, where he notched two of his tallies on Sunday—one on the power play and another into an empty net. His 31 special-teams goals in a calendar year are the most since Dave Andreychuk accomplished the feat in 1993.

“He’s good at both ends of the ice, really good, but (gosh) is he nice with the puck,” Tkachuk said of Reinhart. “He makes some unreal plays and is deadly on the power play.”

Lightning Looking to Rebound

The Lightning, who entered Sunday’s contest on a season-high four-game winning streak, struggled to match Florida’s intensity. Tampa Bay’s special teams were a particular liability, conceding three goals without scoring one of their own.

“When you lose special teams 3-0, that’s a hard one to bounce back from,” Lightning coach Jon Cooper said.

Despite the loss, Brayden Point extended his point streak to eight games (six goals, 12 assists) with a slick goal against Panthers backup goaltender Spencer Knight. Nikita Kucherov, however, saw his nine-game point streak (three goals, 17 assists) snapped.

Tampa Bay also suffered physically in the bruising contest. Conor Geekie left the game after crashing headfirst into the boards in the opening minute, Nick Paul took a stick to the eye, and Zemgus Girgensons limped off late. Brandon Hagel was bloodied by a hit from Florida’s Dmitry Kulikov, capping the physical tone.

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Goaltending Matchup

With Knight starting for Florida on Sunday, Sergei Bobrovsky is expected to get the nod in net for the Panthers on Monday. The Lightning may turn to backup Jonas Johansson, who has a 3-0 record but a 3.84 GAA and .882 save percentage in six appearances. However, Cooper could opt to start Andrei Vasilevskiy again despite his three-goal performance on 25 shots in the opener.

Panthers’ Keys to Victory

Florida has been unbeatable when ahead after two periods, showcasing a flawless 14-0-0 record in those scenarios. Their capability to put pressure on rivals, interrupt plays, and take advantage of special teams has established them as a formidable presence. Monday’s match will challenge their capacity to maintain this elevated level of performance as they aim to sweep their opponent in the Sunshine Showdown.

Lightning Searching for Solutions

For Tampa Bay, maintaining discipline and enhancing the unity of their special teams will be vital in the rematch. Regardless of the physical strain from Sunday’s match, the Lightning will seek to recover and prevent back-to-back losses against their divisional opponents.