Hockey took a day off for the Thanksgiving holiday, but we’re back with a full slate today. We’re going to the Tampa Bay Lightning (9-6-5) vs the Carolina Hurricanes (11-7-0) tonight at the PNC Arena.
Tampa Bay has been having a tough time this year without star goalie Andrei Vasilevskiy. They’re still sitting in 3rd place in the Atlantic Division but will need to get him back to be able to go far this year. Their weak point this year is their lack of defense on shots on goal. They are 5-3-2 in their last 1o games and coming off a loss.
Goalie Jonas Johansson has filled the starting role. He has a record of 8-4-5 in 17 games with a 3.41 GAA and a .894 save percentage. He also has 2 shutouts in there. Luckily for the Lightning, they have a strong offense because this isn’t sustainable for a successful season. There is a chance Vasi comes back tonight, so we’ll have to keep an eye out.
Star right winger Nikita Kucherov is off to a hot start, leading the team in points with 29. He leads the team in goals with 13, which puts him on pace for approximately 55 goals this season. The puck has been moved around well though. They have 7 players with double digit point totals and 4 have 20+ points.
The Lightning’s offense has kept them around. They currently rank 8th in the league for goals per game with 3.5 and have the 2nd best power play, converting 31.3% of the time. They haven’t been firing the puck as expected, but they are shooting with an 11.4 shooting percentage on 30.8 shots on goal per game.
Carolina is coming back this season after making it to the Conference Finals last year. They have done 2 things the same as last year and that’s peppering the net and stopping pucks from their own net.
They rank 2nd in the league with 33.6 shots on goal per game and only allow 25.8 shots on goal per game, best in the league. This poses a big problem for Tampa as they rank in the bottom of the league for shots on goal allowed.
Antti Raanta has been a nice piece of their success this year with a 6-2-0 record to start. His 2.88 GAA and .885 save percentage aren’t the best, but also aren’t the worse. He is getting the wins in the end and that’s what matters most. He has taken on the load with Freddie Andersen on the IR.
This is another team that is having success from moving the puck around. They are getting offense from all around on this team. Sebastian Aho and Seth Jarvis lead the team in points and new addition Michael Bunting has contributed 10 points so far.
The Hurricanes are on a 2-game win streak and are 7-3-0 in their last 1o games. They’re in 3rd place in the extremely tough Metro Division. They’ll be looking to keep the momentum going and grab their 3rd W in a row.
Betting Odds
Puck Line
- Tampa Bay Lightning +1.5 (-170)
- Carolina Hurricanes -1.5 (+145)
Moneyline
- Tampa Bay Lightning +140
- Carolina Huricanes -160
Totals
- Over 6.5 (-105)
- Under 6.5 (-115)
Odds courtesy of MyBookie
Game Information
- Venue: PNC Arena, Raleigh, NC
- Date: Friday, November 24, 2023
- Puck Drop: 8pm EST
- TV: BSSUN, BSSO
Tampa Bay Lightning vs Carolina Hurricanes Prediction and Picks
Prediction and Pick: Game Total Under 6.5 (-115) MyBookie
With the possibility of Vasi returning and coming off a Holiday hangover, I’m taking the under for both teams. Vasi will be the X factor for this under to look really good.
Tampa will still need to limit the shots of the best shooting team in the league, but they can take advantage of the Canes if they commit a lot of penalties which they tend to. The Lightning power play is dangerous.
If Vasi is back, there will be some rust to break off, but he’ll be solid. He is a former Vezina Trophy and Conn Smythe winner for a reason. Between him and Raanta, goals will be common in this game.
We’ll keep our eye out for when the goaltender is confirmed for Tampa because if Vasi doesn’t play – we’ll be riding with the Canes moneyline.
Player Prop: Nikita Kucherov O3.5 Shot on Goal (-132) MyBookie
There’s really know sell job here other than this man is hot as they sun. He has hit this line in his last 11 games straight and I don’t see him slowing down. The team needs him to keep this play up to be able to contend with their lack of defense.
When this team in on the powerplay, it’s a prime time for him to get some shots. Carolina ranks in the bottom of the league for penalty minutes averaging 11 mins per game. The Lightning will have to take advantage of those opportunities.
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