The Florida Panthers (20-14-2) host the Tampa Bay Lightning (20-13-3) at Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday, Dec. 27 at 7 p.m. ET on ESPN+. The Panthers defeated the Carolina Hurricanes 5-2 in their most recent game, while the Lightning are coming off a 4-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues.
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Before watching this matchup, here's our pick for which club will bring home the win in Saturday's hockey action.
Over the past 10 games, the Lightning have put up a record of 4-5-1. They have put up 32 goals, while allowing their opponents to score 25. They have gone on the power play 36 times during that span, and have capitalized with eight goals (22.2% of opportunities).
Panthers vs. Lightning Predictions for Saturday
Our computer projections model for this matchup predicts a final score of Panthers 4, Lightning 3.
- Moneyline Pick: Panthers (-114)
- Total Pick: No Pick - Predicted Margin Negligible
- Spread Pick: Lightning (+1.5)
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Panthers Splits and Trends
- The Panthers have gone 3-2-5 in overtime contests as part of an overall record of 20-14-2.
- Florida has 17 points (8-0-1) in the nine games it has played that were decided by one goal.
- Looking at the seven times this season the Panthers finished a game with just one goal, they have a 1-5-1 record, good for three points.
- Florida has taken three points from the six games this season when it scored two goals (1-4-1 record).
- The Panthers have scored at least three goals in 22 games (18-4-0, 36 points).
- In the 13 games when Florida has capitalized on a lone power-play goal, it registered 16 points after finishing 8-5-0.
- In the 21 games when it outshot its opponent, Florida is 11-8-2 (24 points).
- The Panthers have been outshot by opponents 15 times, and went 9-6-0 (18 points).
Lightning Splits and Trends
- The Lightning have a 3-3-6 record in overtime matchups this season and a 20-13-3 overall record.
- In the 15 games Tampa Bay has played that were decided by one goal, it racked up 14 points.
- This season the Lightning recorded only one goal in three games and they finished 0-2-1 in those matchups.
- Tampa Bay has earned eight points (3-5-2 record) this season when scoring two goals .
- The Lightning have earned 34 points in their 21 games with at least three goals scored.
- Tampa Bay has scored a single power-play goal in 12 games this season and has recorded 16 points from those matchups.
- When outshooting its opponent this season, Tampa Bay is 6-9-2 (14 points).
- The Lightning's opponents have had more shots in 18 games. The Lightning went 13-4-1 in those contests (27 points).
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Team Stats Comparison
| Panthers Rank | Panthers AVG | Lightning AVG | Lightning Rank | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 9th | 3.19 | Goals Scored | 3.25 | 6th |
| 18th | 3.14 | Goals Allowed | 2.61 | 4th |
| 7th | 29.3 | Shots | 27.6 | 20th |
| 7th | 26.6 | Shots Allowed | 26.5 | 6th |
| 17th | 19.05% | Power Play % | 17.24% | 22nd |
| 11th | 82.2% | Penalty Kill % | 84.35% | 3rd |
Panthers vs. Lightning Game Time and TV Channel
- When: Saturday, December 27, 2025 at 7 p.m. ET
- TV Channel: ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on ESPN+
- Live Stream: Watch this game on Fubo (Regional restrictions may apply)
- Where: Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida
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