All hockey fans will have their eyes locked on a massive Eastern Conference matchup Tuesday between two legitimate contenders as the Tampa Bay Lightning hit the road to face the Carolina Hurricanes. The puck drop is scheduled for 7 PM ET at PNC Arena in Raleigh, North Carolina. Tampa has hit a cold spell as of late and will be looking to end a four-game losing skid. The Canes aren't exactly thriving at the moment either, coming off a 4-3 shootout loss to the NHL-best Boston Bruins. They still remain in first in the Metropolitan Division, though. Keep reading for the Lightning vs Hurricanes prediction.
Before we get into the odds and picks for Tuesday's encounter, make sure to check out our online sportsbook reviews, and the top NHL betting sites.
Lightning vs Hurricanes Odds
The Canes, who beat the Lightning 6-0 in early March, are the favorite here with moneyline odds of -136 at BetOnline. Tampa Bay comes back at +123. In fact, Carolina has won five of the last six meetings with their East rivals. That certainly bodes well for Tuesday in what should be a very entertaining clash.
Tampa Bay Needs to Get Back on Track
The Lightning is in a serious rut right now with the playoffs quickly approaching. While they still sit at a solid 42-26-6 record, Tampa really needs to turn it around in a hurry before the postseason does begin. The Lightning has lost to the Devils, Canadiens, Senators, and Bruins during this skid, scoring just a tad under an average of two goals while conceding 17. Not good enough.
However, Jon Cooper's team did put up a solid fight against Boston on Saturday, losing a 2-1 nailbiter. Patrice Bergeron got the Bruins on the board before Victor Hedman equalized in the first period. Garnet Hathaway eventually added a winner in the second as both teams failed to produce any offense in the third.
Although Tampa Bay desperately needs a win on Tuesday, their road record doesn't exactly scream success. The Lightning is just 17-19-1 away from home. They will need to dig deep here and most importantly, tighten it up defensively while hopefully getting some production from the big guns like Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point.
Hurricanes Phenomenal at Home
Good teams typically play a lot better at home as opposed to on the road. That's very much the case for the Canes, who have gone 25-9-3 at PNC Arena in 2022-2023. But, Carolina is just 5-4-1 in their last 10 contests and is losing games in recent weeks.
In fact, since Andrei Svechnikov went down with a season-ending knee injury, they've posted a pedestrian 4-4 record. His absence will definitely be felt and without the Russian on the ice, it's hard to imagine Carolina making a deep postseason run. After all, he's a guy who had 23 goals and 32 assists.
On a more positive note, the Hurricanes proved they can stick with the best of them on Sunday, pushing David Pastrnak and the Bruins to the absolute brink. It took a Jake Debrusk winner in the shootout to give Boston the victory. Carolina made an epic comeback in the third, facing a 3-1 deficit before Brady Skjei and Sebastian Aho both scored to force overtime. The Canes showed serious guts against the Stanley Cup favorites. Even though it was a loss, it's the type of performance Carolina can very much build on.
Lightning vs Hurricanes Prediction
Tampa Bay isn't playing well and the Hurricanes just gave the high-flying Bruins a serious run for their money. A win feels like it's in the cards for the hosts. I expect them to continue their dominance against the Lightning.
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