Matchup Overview
In a much-anticipated matchup on Tuesday evening, the Tampa Bay Lightning, sporting a strong overall record of 30 wins, 13 losses, and 4 overtime losses, are set to host the San Jose Sharks at 7 p.m. EST in Tampa, Florida. The Lightning currently sit second in the Atlantic Division, while the Sharks hold a record of 25-20-3 in the Pacific Division.
Current Form
Right now, Tampa Bay is in the midst of an impressive home win streak, having won their last four games at Amalie Arena. They have a solid home record of 12-9-0 and are known for their aggressive play, averaging 13.8 penalty minutes per game, which ranks them second in the NHL. In their previous encounters this season, the Lightning triumphed over the Sharks with a decisive 7-3 victory, during which Darren Raddysh notably scored three goals.
On the opposing side, San Jose is coming off a decent run of form, winning seven out of their last ten games, including a current road record of 12-11-0. However, they face some challenges, having surrendered 168 goals while only managing to score 150, resulting in a negative goal differential of -18.
Key Players
Key players to watch include Tampa Bay’s Jake Guentzel, who has demonstrated outstanding play with 21 goals and 28 assists, alongside Nikita Kucherov, who has accumulated nine goals and 14 assists in his last ten encounters. For the Sharks, Tyler Toffoli stands out with his 13 goals and 19 assists this season, and Will Smith has made an impact recently, netting six goals and securing three assists over the last ten games.
Game Expectations
Notably, both teams enter the contest without any injury concerns reported, setting the stage for what promises to be an exciting game. The betting odds favor the Lightning significantly with a line of -302, while the Sharks are at +241, with the total points expected to be set at 6.5.
As the Sharks aim to disrupt the Lightning’s winning streak, fans can expect an engaging battle when these two teams take the ice once more.
