The'Florida Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning meet in Game 3 of a best-of-7 Eastern Conference, 1st-round series Thursday. The Panthers lead the series 2-0. Puck drop from Amalie Arena is set for 7 p.m. ET (TBS). Below, we analyze BetMGM Sportsbook’s lines around the Panthers vs. Lightning odds, and make our expert NHL picks and predictions.
The Panthers endured the Lightning with a 3-2 overtime win in Game 2. It came at a cost, though, as C Sam Bennett is out with an upper body injury in this one. Bennett, who had 20 goals in the regular season, scored a goal in the 1st of Game 2.
The Lightning were just 1 for 6 on the power play in Game 2, and that will need to be improved upon in order to climb back in it. RW Nikita Kucherov has been kept off the score sheet with just 3 SOG in 2 games, but he has 2 assists. The Lightning were 25-11-5 on home ice this season.
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