Panthers vs Lightning Live: Score Updates, Highlights & How to Watch Tonight’s NHL Showdown

TAMPA, Fla. — The Battle of Florida reignites tonight as the Florida Panthers visit the Tampa Bay Lightning in a clash that could reshape the Atlantic Division pecking order. Tampa Bay (18-11-3) sits atop the division, but a surging Florida squad (16-13-2) is just five points back and fresh off a 4-0 shutout of Dallas. Key storylines 1. Star power vs. depth • Nikita Kucherov leads the NHL in points and headlines Tampa Bay’s top line with Brandon Hagel and Anthony Cirelli, while Brayden Point centers newcomer Jake Guentzel on a lethal second unit. • Florida counters with Sam Reinhart and Carter Verhaeghe, plus a rejuvenated Brad Marchand, though the Cats remain without captain Aleksander Barkov and power-forward Matthew Tkachuk (both day-to-day). 2. Crease showdown • Sergei Bobrovsky (13-8-2, 2.46 GAA, .914 SV%) returns to the net after Saturday’s shutout heroics. • With Andrei Vasilevskiy still sidelined, Jonas Johansson (11-6-2, 2.89 GAA, .904 SV%) gets the call for Tampa Bay. 3. Injury report • Lightning stalwarts Victor Hedman and Ryan McDonagh remain out, leaving J.J. Moser and Darren Raddysh to shoulder heavy minutes on the blue line. • Florida’s back end is healthier, with Seth Jones anchoring the second pair alongside Niko Mikkola. Projected lineups Panthers — Luostarinen-Lundell-Reinhart / Verhaeghe-Bennett-Marchand / Greer-Rodrigues-Samoskevich / Boqvist-Studnicka-Gregor. Lightning — Hagel-Cirelli-Kucherov / Guentzel-Point-Bjorkstrand / Holmberg-Gourde-Girgensons / Douglas-Paul-Sabourin. Betting angle Oddsmakers list Tampa Bay as a slim −130 favorite, with Florida at +110 and the over/under at 5.5 goals. The Lightning are 11-4-1 on home ice, but the Panthers boast the NHL’s second-best road penalty kill (89.7%). What to watch • Special teams: Tampa’s power play ranks third overall (28.4%), yet Florida has held opponents to one PP goal in its last five games. • First-period tempo: The Lightning have out-scored visitors 26-14 in opening frames at home; a quick Panthers response is critical. • New arena energy: Tonight marks Florida’s first visit to revamped Benchmark Arena, where a raucous sell-out is expected. Stat corner • Reinhart rides an eight-game point streak (6 G, 6 A). • Kucherov has 26 points in his past 15 games versus Florida. • Tampa Bay is 12-1-0 when leading after two periods; Florida is 10-2-1 when tied or ahead entering the third. Bottom line December standings points feel like April gold when heated rivals collide. If Florida’s forecheck can disrupt Tampa Bay’s precision breakout and Bobrovsky maintains recent form, the Panthers could steal two crucial points. Otherwise, expect the Lightning’s elite finishers to capitalize on home-ice momentum and extend their division lead.