- What: NHL Eastern Conference Playoffs First Round Game 1
- When: April 22, 2025
- Who: Florida Panthers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning
- Time: 5:30 p.m. PST
- Where: Amalie Arena (Tampa, FL)
The Florida Panthers will face off against the Tampa Bay Lightning in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round matchup in the Stanley Cup Playoffs this Tuesday at 5:30 p.m. PST.
The season series is tied 2-2. The Lightning secured second place in the Atlantic Division, earning home-ice advantage for this series.
This is their second straight postseason meeting; Florida eliminated Tampa Bay in five games last season en route to their first Stanley Cup title.
Tampa Bay finished the regular season strong with a 7-2-3 record in their last 12 games, totaling 102 points. They held the best home record in the Eastern Conference at 29-8-4, along with a plus-75 goal differential.
Right winger Nikita Kucherov enters the playoffs hot, registering 9 goals and 29 points in his last 17 games.
Meanwhile, the Panthers struggled on the road, going 20-19-2 and 3-6-1 in their final 10 games. Left winger Carter Verhaeghe is coming off a strong finish, with 3 goals and 6 points in his last 5 games.
In goal, Sergei Bobrovsky (33-19-2, 2.44 GAA) will start for Florida against Andrei Vasilevskiy (38-20-5, 2.18 GAA). Bobrovsky is looking to continue his solid playoff form from last season, while Vasilevskiy has returned to form after last year’s health issues.
The Lightning at -120 odds are a solid option for this opener as they seek to establish an early advantage in what could be a lengthy, intense series. While the regular-season results were mixed, both teams are gearing up for a competitive matchup.
Best Bet: Lightning Money Line at -120 odds
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Tony Reyes is a sports betting analyst and reporter for Dice City Sports. You can follow him on X @TonyParlay.
