East-West Showdown: Lightning Invade Vegas

The Tampa Bay Lightning and Vegas Golden Knights have been two of the best teams in the NHL in December, making their rare meeting on Tuesday a can’t-miss game. Checking their latest news, stats, and injury reports, the host Golden Knights are slight favorites per the NHL betting lines. Can they turn back Tampa like they did previously?

Tampa Bay Lightning (19-6-4) vs Vegas Golden Knights (20-11-0)

Golden Knights Charging Ahead

After overcoming a multitude of injuries, the Vegas Golden Knights appear to be hitting their midseason form. Vegas has won five straight and is 8-2-0 this month thanks to some prolific scoring.

The Golden Knights, led by Max Pacioretty, are generating the most 5v5 scoring chances and have bumped up their power play (PP) to 31 percent (fifth-best). Pacioretty has been on fire as well, scoring 10 goals (three game-winning) and 15 points in his last 10 games – the most in the league.

What a December for Max Pacioretty! pic.twitter.com/xLYqC98L59

— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) December 20, 2021

Even better for Vegas is its improved defense. The Knights used to allow the most scoring chances, but have cut that down and are an average team now. Bet online on Vegas now while they’re at peak form.

Lightning in a Bottle

Tampa Bay knows a thing or two about playing shorthanded. The two-time defending Stanley Cup champions have been without star winger Nikita Kucherov for two months and star center Brayden Point for one. And yet they are enjoying their best month yet with a 7-1-0 record in December.

What’s even more impressive is how the Lightning are doing it despite how poorly they’re trending statistically. They have poor special teams play with a power play at 15.4 percent (23rd) and a penalty kill (PK) at 57.9 percent (31st). On 5v5, their expected goal differential is less than one and yet they are plus-eight. How? Andrei freakin’ Vasilevskiy.

The netminder is making a strong push to win his second Vezina Trophy and is 6-0-0 in December with 1.98 goals-against average (GAA) and a 93.5 save percentage. Along with Brian Elliott, they’ve combined to stop 63 of the 69 high-danger chances against their team.

Lightning vs Golden Knights Head to Head

 Lightning vs  Golden Knights Game Information

• Date: Tuesday
• Time: 10 p.m. ET
• Location: T-Mobile Arena
• Tampa Bay Lightning vs Vegas Golden Knights Live Stream: NHL Live

 Lightning vs Golden Knights Betting Lines

Lightning vs Golden Knights Prediction

In what could be a Stanley Cup Final preview, Tampa and Vegas should combine for a back-and-forth type of game. Vasilevskiy is nigh-unstoppable, but five of the 12 goals he’s allowed this month came on the PK. Vegas has a surging PP that could spell trouble for Tampa Bay, if not for their own troubles.

The Knights also have a porous penalty at just 69 percent this month. Netminder Robin Lehner, despite being 5-1-0, has also been struggling in net with an 88.1 save percentage. His save percent on the PK is also down to 86.0 from his 89.4 career average. So bank on this one to have plenty of scoring, as three of Vegas’s four home games have had.

Pick: Over 5½ (-125)

In terms of picking a side, roll with the Lightning because they have a sizable edge in netminding. Vasilevskiy is better than Lehner and at dog money on the online Sportsbook, that’s the right call.

Pick: Tampa Bay Lightning +110

Parlay: Over 5½ and Lightning (+280)