Welcome back to NHL Predictions! Every day, Last Word on Hockey provides insights and analysis to predict the outcome of the games on the NHL schedule. Today, we will examine the matchup between the Tampa Bay Lightning and the Carolina Hurricanes. Be sure to check out all of our NHL Predictions as the 2024-25 season approaches the playoff race.
Time: 7:30 p.m. Eastern Standard Time (EST)
TV: ESPN+; Hulu
Welcome back to NHL Predictions, where we analyze matchups, sprinkle in some stats, and pretend to be hockey clairvoyants. Tonight, we’ve got a high-voltage showdown between the Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Carolina Hurricanes—a matchup that promises to be faster than a New York snowbird driver on I-75 and as unpredictable as Florida weather.
Tampa Bay heads to Raleigh looking to zap the Hurricanes out of their rhythm, while Carolina hopes to defend home ice with the fury of, well, an actual hurricane. Let’s break it down.
Tampa Bay has an offense that’s as electric as the bolt on their front jersey. Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point have been lighting up scoreboards all season, and if they get rolling early, it could be a long night for Carolina’s netminder, even with Victor Hedman listed as Day-to-Day. If the Bolts can establish their forecheck and dictate the pace, they’ll put the Hurricanes in a defensive spiral.
Andrei Vasilevskiy remains Tampa’s safety net. If he’s seeing the puck well, Carolina’s high-octane offense might struggle to crack open a cold one on ice. The Hurricanes generate a ton of chances off the cycle, so Vasilevskiy’s ability to track the puck and control rebounds will be crucial. If he’s on his game, Tampa will be in a prime position to steal two points.
Staying disciplined is another primary key. Carolina thrives on special teams, and the last thing Tampa wants is to hand over power-play opportunities like free samples at Costco.
The Hurricanes don’t just play hockey—they come at you like waves off the eastern Florida beaches. Their forecheck is relentless, and if they can keep Tampa hemmed in their zone, the Lightning might spend more time defending than attacking. If Carolina forces turnovers in the neutral zone, expect them to turn those into quality scoring chances.
Sebastian Aho and Andrei Svechnikov (Day-to-Day) will need to be at their best to break through Tampa’s defencive structure. Aho’s playmaking and Svechnikov’s ability to create scoring chances out of nothing could be game-changers. The more Carolina plays hide-and-go-seek with the puck, the more frustrated Tampa will be.
Goaltending will play a huge role. Whether it’s Frederik Andersen or Pyotr Kochetkov between the pipes, they’ll need to withstand Tampa’s onslaught. The Bolts are going to fire pucks from every angle like a carnival game, and if the Hurricanes’ netminder can hold strong, they’ll have a good chance not to hand out many purple bunnies.
This one’s shaping up to be a classic battle between Tampa Bay’s star power and Carolina’s relentless system. The Hurricanes have home-ice advantage and an aggressive forecheck that could cause problems, but Tampa Bay’s elite talent and Vasilevskiy’s goaltending might be the difference.
Prediction: Lightning win in overtime, 4-3.
Expect a tight, fast-paced game with plenty of fireworks. This one has overtime written all over it, but Tampa’s big guns should find a way to sneak out of Raleigh with two points.
This game is a heavyweight battle between two Eastern Conference contenders. Tampa Bay’s firepower and goaltending give them a slight edge, but Carolina’s structured attack and home-ice advantage make this one a coin flip. Buckle up!
Main photo by: James Guillory-Imagn Images
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