Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers 2/6/2023 Picks, Predictions and Previews
The Tampa Bay Lightning will face off against the Florida Panthers in a highly-anticipated NHL showdown at the FLA Live Arena in FL on Monday, February 6th at 7:00 PM ET. The Bolts are coming off the 2023 Honda NHL All-Star Weekend in strong form, sitting in third place in the Atlantic Division with 65 points from 48 matches, a nine-point lead over the fourth-place Buffalo Sabres. With just two games remaining, Tampa Bay brings a 32-15-1 record into the matchup, riding a three-game unbeaten streak but looking to break a two-game road losing skid. Led by the league’s top scorer, Brayden Point (54 points), and Nikita Kucherov (19 goals, 53 assists), the Lightning will look to continue their dominant play in the current season.
Between the pipes, Andrei Vasilevskiy will take the start, having gone 23-12-1 in 36 starts in the 2017 season with a 2.51 GAA and a .918 save percentage. He brings a strong track record against Florida into the game, boasting a 15-9-1 record with a 2.78 GAA and a .916 save percentage. Kucherov, meanwhile, has been a thorn in the side of the Panthers, totaling 38 points (16 goals, 22 assists) in 29 prior matchups.
- Tampa Bay is 4-1 SU in their last 5 games with an opponent in the Eastern Conference.
- The total stayed UNDER in 5 of Tampa Bay’s last 6 games against an opponent in the Atlantic Division.
- The total remained UNDER in 6 of Tampa Bay’s last 9 games played in February.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers 2/6/2023 Picks, Predictions and Previews
The Florida Panthers, sitting three points behind the Pittsburgh Penguins in the Eastern Conference, resume their season after the 2023 NHL All-Star break. In the midst of a five-game homestand, the Panthers are 4-1-0 in their last five home games and 1-1-0 thus far on their current homestand, but have won just one of their last four overall matches (1-2-1). Leading the team in scoring is Matthew Tkachuk with 66 points (25 goals, 41 assists), while Carter Verhaeghe has scored the most goals with 43 points.
Goaltender Spencer Knight, who has been out of action since January 8, is set to make a much-anticipated return after a conditioning stint in the AHL, while Sergei Bobrovsky remains sidelined with a lower-body injury. Knight holds a 2-1-0 career record against the Tampa Bay Lightning, along with a 3.54 GAA and a .900 save percentage, while Bobrovsky has a current record of 9-7-3 with a 3.05 GAA and a .906 save percentage. Tkachuk has faced the Lightning 11 times prior and has recorded seven points (2 goals, 5 assists).
- The Florida Panthers are 1-4 SU in their last 5 games at home against Tampa Bay.
- The total went OVER in 5 of Florida’s last 5 games against an opponent in the Eastern Conference.
- The panthers are 5-1 SU in their last 6 games with an opponent in the Atlantic Division.
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Florida Panthers. The NFL pick for this game is the Tampa Bay Lightning. Florida LW Anthony Duclair (Achilles) has been skating hard in practice and hopes to make his season debut sometime this month. In their last 20 games, these two teams have played overs to a combined 12-5-3 record. Look for that trend to continue. Final Score Prediction, Tampa Bay Lightning win 4-3.
NFL Starting Time: 7:00 PM (EDT)
Location: FLA Live Arena, FL
Date: Monday, February 6, 2023
TV: BSUN
NFL Odds: Tampa Bay Lightning -123
NFL Totals: 6.5
