The Tampa Bay Lightning (22-15-2) will look to continue their impressive offensive form when they visit the Pittsburgh Penguins (18-17-8) at PPG Paints Arena on Sunday evening.
The Lightning enter the contest riding a two-game winning streak, most recently dispatching the Boston Bruins 4-1, while showcasing their league-leading offense that averages 3.7 goals per game.
Pittsburgh, despite recently snapping a four-game losing streak with a 5-3 victory over the Edmonton Oilers, faces significant challenges with Evgeni Malkin's day-to-day status and their league-worst 3.6 goals against average.
The matchup presents an intriguing contrast between Tampa Bay's high-powered offense, led by Nikita Kucherov's 58 points and Brayden Point's 25 goals, against Pittsburgh's struggling defensive unit.
The previous meeting between these teams saw Tampa Bay emerge victorious in a tight 3-2 contest, with Lightning netminder Andrei Vasilevskiy continuing to demonstrate his excellence with a 2.36 goals-against average this season.
As both teams complete back-to-back games and battle for crucial points in the Eastern Conference playoff race, this Lightning-Penguins matchup promises to deliver an compelling clash of contrasting styles and momentum.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning: who will win?
For tonight's Pittsburgh Penguins vs Tampa Bay Lightning matchup, our predictive model gives the Lightning a 70.67% chance of defeating the Penguins.
Tampa Bay Lightning: 70.67% win probability
- Superior offensive efficiency (146 goals scored in 40 games, 3.65 goals per game)
- Better defensive record (111 goals against in 40 games, 2.78 GAA)
- Higher points percentage (47 points in 40 games, 1.18 points per game)
Pittsburgh Penguins: 29.33% win probability
- Poor defensive record (164 goals against, worst in Eastern Conference)
- Negative goal differential (-31, significantly worse than Tampa's +35)
- Poor recent form (LWLLL in last 5 games)
At Sporting Post, our unique prediction model combines insights from top NHL experts. Instead of sifting through hundreds of expert analyses across the web, you can rely on our predictions to understand the market's overall sentiment. We scan trusted sources, analyzing predictions, data, and opinions, and our AI assigns a confidence level to each prediction. We then average these levels to produce an 'expert opinion' win probability—reflecting the collective intelligence of the industry's leading NHL experts.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning odds
| Pittsburgh Penguins | Tampa Bay Lightning | |
|---|---|---|
| moneyline | +130 (via DraftKings Sportsbook) | -150 (via bet365 US) |
Key stats
- 1The Pittsburgh Penguins have won 18 out of 44 matches this season.
- 2The Tampa Bay Lightning have won 22 out of 40 matches this season.
- 3With 44 points, the Pittsburgh Penguins holds the 10th position in the league standings.
- 4Tampa Bay Lightning's 47 points place them 6th in the rankings.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning form
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Tampa Bay Lightning head to head
Pittsburgh Penguins
67%
Tampa Bay Lightning
33%
Nov 20, 2024
Pittsburgh Penguins
2 : 3
Tampa Bay Lightning
Apr 6, 2024
Pittsburgh Penguins
5 : 4
Tampa Bay Lightning
Dec 7, 2023
Tampa Bay Lightning
3 : 1
Pittsburgh Penguins
Dec 1, 2023
Tampa Bay Lightning
2 : 4
Pittsburgh Penguins
Mar 3, 2023
Tampa Bay Lightning
4 : 5
Pittsburgh Penguins
Feb 26, 2023
Pittsburgh Penguins
7 : 3
Tampa Bay Lightning
