Tampa Bay Lightning at Florida Panthers Game 5 Betting Preview/Player Prop
24 May 2021
The Lightning are the defending Stanley Cup champion, but they dealt with plenty of injuries and adversity throughout the year. Tampa Bay is the number three seed in the Central, but they have been the better team in this series.
Florida picked up 79 points during the regular season to earn the number two seed in the Central Division. The Panthers are a very young team, and they have not enjoyed the same level of success in the postseason.
The Tampa Bay Lightning are the betting favorites in Game 5 at -114 in this matchup.
Lightning Finding Some Offense
Tampa Bay averaged 3.2 goals per game during the regular season, but they have been even better on offense in this series. The Lightning have scored at least five goals in three of the first four games, and that is a problem for Florida.
Tampa Bay got a pair of goals from Alex Killorn in Game 4, and he is not even one of the best offensive players on this team. Center Brayden Point led the team with 23 goals and 48 points this season, and defenseman Victor Hedman is one of the best in the league at that position.
The Lightning also have the ability to shut down opponents, and they have frustrated the Panthers in this matchup.
Florida Needs to Slow it Down
Florida played with a fast pace all season long, but that strategy just simply isn’t working against the Tampa Bay Lightning. The Panthers scored 3.36 goals per game during the regular season, but they have also given up too many great scoring opportunities.
Aleksander Barkov and Jonathan Huberdeau are both terrific offensive talents, and they will need to carry the Panthers in Game 5. Barkov had 26 goals during the regular season, and Huberdeau had a team-high 41 assists.
Florida has been playing with a ton of physicality in this series, but that has also led to many penalties. The Panthers need to get back to the basics on Monday night if they want to slow down the Lightning.
Panthers Keep Season Alive
Tampa Bay has been finding plenty of offense in this series, and it’s up to Florida to find a way to slow them down. Look for the Panthers to control the puck on Monday night, and that will allow them to stay in this game.
The Panthers do have plenty of talent, and they are a problem to deal with when they are playing well. Florida might not have a ton of momentum coming into Game 5, but the home crowd will give them a boost.
Tampa Bay is likely going to win this series, but Florida is good enough to extend this series by another game. Bet the Florida Panthers money line over the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 5 of this NHL series.
Player Prop
Aleksander Barkov (-120) Over 0.5 Assists
While the Panthers are on the brink of elimination, it hasn’t been from a lack of production out of Barkov. The 25-year-old center has picked up a point in each game and is coming off a two-point (1 goal, 1 assist) game on Saturday.
It’s a carryover from the regular season that saw Barkov lead the team in goals (26) and finish second in assists (32) and points (58). Goals have been hard to come by for Barkov against the Lightning as the one he’s picked up in the postseason matches the number he scored in 8 regular season contests. But the assists have been plentiful. After registering 7 in 8 games during the regular season, Barkov has added 4 more in the 4 postseason games versus the Lightning.
Overall, Barkov has accounted for 10.3% of the Panthers assists this season and is averaging 1.84 per 60 minutes this season. With Florida looking to avoid elimination, we’ll look for Barkov (-120) to stay productive tonight and go over 0.5 assists.
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