Panthers Favored vs Lightning in Game 5 Monday After Lopsided Loss

What: Florida Panthers vs Tampa Bay Lightning - Game 5
When: Monday, Apri 29th
Where: Amalie Arena

The Tampa Bay Lightning will be looking to keep the momentum going into Game 5 of their first-round series with the Florida Panthers on Monday, April 29th. The puck is scheduled to drop at 7 PM ET at Amerant Bank Arena. Tampa avoided the sweep on Saturday with their backs up against the wall, grabbing a much-needed 6-3 victory to cut the series deficit to 3-1. They will need a miracle to claw their way completely back, but it was a start. Needless to say, Monday is another win-or-go-home scenario. Keep reading for the Panthers vs Lightning Game 5 picks.

Before we get into the odds, preview, and prediction, make sure to check out our NHL Playoffs Page and our Stanley Cup Odds.

Lightning vs Panthers Game 5 Odds

Team
Tampa Bay Lightning	+151	+150	+155
Florida Panthers	-170	-170	-175

The Panthers are the favorite at home in Game 5 with -170 moneyline odds for an implied win probability of 62.96%. The Bolts come back at +151 and have a 39.84% chance of taking this one. Florida has been favored in every single game so far.

Can Tampa Stay Alive?

This was always seen as a very difficult series for the Lightning because the Panthers are truly one of the best teams around who won the Atlantic Division during the regular season. At this point, it's hard to imagine Tampa winning the series after going into an 0-3 hole early, but at least they got one victory on Saturday on home ice. Steven Stamkos played hero in Game 4 with two goals to propel his squad. But, it wasn't easy for the Lightning.

Jon Cooper's group went up 3-0 in the first period only to partially blow their lead in the second, heading into the third with only a 4-3 lead. Stamkos and Nicholas Paul both found the back of the net in the final period though to seal the deal. This was a very physical game, with nearly 150 hits combined. Tampa was 2 for 5 on the power play and outshot the Cats 32-25. Brandon Hagel also had a pair of goals on his own.

Although the Bolts have staved off elimination for another day, it will not be easy to go into Sunrise and pull out another victory. This Panthers team is resilient and will be biting at the bit to come out and respond on Monday. Nikita Kucherov has yet to score in the series but did have three assists in Game 4. He needs to keep contributing if Tampa is going to have any shot at winning another one here. Also, scoring six on Sergei Bobrovsky is almost unheard of as well, so that was impressive in itself.

Panthers Looking to Finish it Off at Home

As previously mentioned, Florida rarely allows six goals. We're talking about a team with a top-notch netminder and the best defense in the NHL. Saturday's outcome will not leave the Panthers too happy because they're so much better than this. Despite the loss though, Paul Maurice's boys showed guts to overcome an early deficit. Carter Verhaeghe, Sam Reinhart, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson got on the scoresheet in the second, but the Cats only managed five more shots in the third period.

Overall, Florida has been rolling in this series, however. The main guys are producing, with Matthew Tkachuk leading the way. He has three goals and four assists. Verhaeghe also has six points, while Reinhart, their best player in the regular season, has three goals. This is a very dangerous team with fantastic depth. There's a reason they beat out the Bruins for the Atlantic title. Even though the Panthes have three more games to advance to the next round, they will be looking to finish things off on Monday in front of the home fans. It will also just give them more time to rest up before the conference semifinals.

By the looks of it, they will probably be facing the Bruins in the second round because they currently lead the Toronto Maple Leafs 3-1 in that series. Whether it's Toronto or Boston, the Panthers will be in for a battle. But as we saw in last year's playoffs, this group loves a challenge and this time around, they're one of the favorites to lift Lord Stanley.