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Florida vs. Tampa Bay: NHL Match Prediction
On December 24, Florida and Tampa Bay will play their second game in two days. In the first game, the Lightning were unable to cope with the Panthers' attacking impulses, who also played well on their half of the court. The Cats can move up to second place in the East if they win. The Lightning will only move up to sixth place in the conference if they manage to take revenge. What will this game be like? This is in the forecast for it
Command Analysis
Florida Panthers
USACurrent form
Florida lacks stability during the current regular season, but even without it, Paul Maurice team is in third place in the conference standings. The Panthers have earned 46 points in 35 starts and are unlikely to climb higher in the near future. The "Cats" had a good last road trip, but after a victory in Seattle (2:1, B), they were routed in Vancouver (0:4) and Calgary (0:3) and did not score a single puck. This greatly angered Aleksander Barkov team, and they scored 11 accurate shots in matches against Edmonton (6:5) and Minnesota (6:1). The Panthers beat St. Louis with some difficulty in the last game at home (2:1, OT), and the day before they confidently dealt with Tampa (4:2).
The hosts lack stability in their attack. In their last six games, they have failed to score a single goal twice, while in the previous four games they have scored 17 accurate shots. Sam Reinhart remains the Panthers' top scorer with 45 points (22+23) in the goal+pass system. At the moment, the forward ranks seventh in the league list of the most productive hockey players.
In the second half of December, the club from the state of the same name has not been performing well on its half of the court and in general cannot boast of reliable play during this season. Sergei Bobrovsky has reflected only 89.56% of shots on his own possessions and made only one shutout in 23 games.
Disqualifications and injuries
Johan Gadjovic will not play in the second match against the Lightning. Jesper Boqvist is questionable.
Interesting trends for betting
- Florida is averaging 3.60 goals per game.
The Panthers have been showing a productive attack this season, and in recent matches they have greatly improved their scoring.
- The Panthers are blocking 16 shots per game.
The hosts regularly help their goalies, but this does not always save the team from conceding goals.
Tampa Bay Lightning
USACurrent form
Tampa Bay has been in the wild card zone for a long time and rarely leaves the playoff zone. The team led by John Cooper has scored 38 points in 31 games and does not have long losing streaks. In December, the Lightning look very good. They won four games in a row, starting the home series with victories over Columbus (5:3) and St. Louis (3:1), but in the last match they lost to Florida (2:4). The Lightning shot very little at the Panthers' goal and, in general, deservedly remained without points.
Andrei Vasilevskiy hasn't always been great this season, but he in decent shape right now. The Russian has stopped .9099% of the shots he faces in his possession this season and has two shutouts in 26 starts. Tampa has allowed just 12 goals in his last five games, which is pretty strong by league standards.
Victor Hedman team remains one of the East top scorers, averaging 3.94 goals per game this season, but only when Nikita Kucherov is on the ice. The Russian forward is having another great year, ranking sixth in the league with 49 points (14 goals, 35 assists).
Disqualifications and injuries
Janis Moser will not be able to help his teammates in the return match.
Interesting trends for betting
- Tampa Bay is averaging 3.94 goals per game.
The Lightning have shown a strong level of attacking play since the very start of the season.
- The Lightning average 7.97 penalty minutes per game.
Guests are sent off four times on average per game.
Trends
Bet 2nd period: total over 1.5 goals
In Tampa last three games, the second period has been productive.
1.45Bet 1st period: Florida will score
In the last four matches, the "cats" scored in the first 20 minutes
1.45Tip and bets
Florida is gaining momentum and has been playing great offensively lately. Alexander Barkov team is close to reaching the second line in the conference and should extend its winning streak. Tampa Bay played well in the first matches in the second half of December, but the Lightning only played with teams from the bottom of the table and simply crushed them with their attacking power. We think that the second meeting in the derby will also go to Paul Maurice team. We offer a bet on the home team victory, taking into account overtime and shootouts.
Our prediction is Florida victory in the match at 1.63
Bet on individual total
The Panthers have scored 17 goals in their last four games and have taken advantage of their opportunities very well. Tampa Bay has conceded at least three goals in three of its last five games and has a hard time getting back on the defensive. The Cats easily opened up the Lightning defense on the road and should repeat that feat with the support of their home crowd.
Forecast - Florida individual total over three goals for 1.65
Bet on total
The last games involving the Panthers have been extremely productive. Only two games out of seven between the teams did not have at least six goals scored. Tampa lacks reliability in defense, but the Lightning should take advantage of Sergei Bobrovsky inconsistent play at the last line of defense. We think the meeting will be productive.
Forecast - total over 5.5 goals for 1.55
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