An absolutely marquee showdown will unfold Tuesday evening in the NHL as the Pittsburgh Penguins take on the Florida Panthers, in what could well be an Eastern Conference Finals preview.
Both teams enter rolling at the moment, pushing for the lead in their respective divisions. The Penguins continue their torrid pace, and with Mike Sullivan’s coaching ability, the Pens have blended excellent defensive hockey with some elite-level skill. Still with Evgeni Malkin and Sidney Crosby, this veteran squad is again a force in 2022. They enter having won six of their past ten games, and with the way Tristan Jarry continues to play in goal, they’ll be a force in the post-season.
Meanwhile for Florida, they managed to secure another routine win over lowly Buffalo last night, and will now need to turn around and play a tough squad in a back-to-back spot. The Panthers are racking up the offense, led by a lethal top-9 all with great finishing ability. While their goaltending has tailed off of late, Sergei Bobrovsky is having a resurgent year in goal, securing a .916 save percentage. He’s slated to start Tuesday evening in this big-time matchup.
Continue reading on beneath the posted odds for the latest news, trends, and betting analysis, as we break down this Pens/Panthers showdown. It’s been a red-hot stretch for us of late on the ice, and we’ll look to keep this rolling on Tuesday evening.
Sidney Crosby with the one-handed pass ? pic.twitter.com/2KSjEdnSsp
— Sportsnet (@Sportsnet) March 5, 2022
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Florida Panthers Live Odds & Betting History
*These odds are provided by BetOnline.ag
| TEAM DATA | PANTHERS | PENGUINS |
| Overall Record | 38-13-5 | 34-14-9 |
| ATS Record | 32-24 | 27-30 |
| Home/Away Record | 13-7-5 | 15-8-5 |
| Goals Per Game | 4.1 | 3.2 |
| Goals Against Per Game | 2.9 | 2.6 |
| Shots On Goal Per Game | 36.9 | 34.7 |
| Shooting % | 10.2 | 9.8 |
Florida Panthers vs. Pittsburgh Penguins Prediction:
The Panthers are certainly an offensive juggernaut, and given their recent form the Penguins’ defense will need to be on high-alert. But scoring six goals against the Sabres, doesn’t mean the same can be replicated against a stingy Pittsburgh side. Mike Sullivan has this group committed to their play without the puck, and Tristan Jarry has been excellent this season in goal.
With Pittsburgh being the more rested side, expect them to push the pace from the outset. They have a balanced top-three lines that play relatively evenly, and their defense has done a great job at suppressing high-danger chances, and head manning the puck quickly ahead to their forwards from their own zone. What used to be a sore spot for the Penguins has quickly turned into a team strength.
When these two teams last met, Pittsburgh took down Florida 3-2 in a shootout, but don’t expect Tuesday’s game to be as tightly fought. The Panthers are showing sides of playing too loose, and a veteran and rested squad like the Pens should take full advantage. They are one of the few teams that can actually match Florida’s impressive forward depth, and the recent play of Bobrovsky in goal hasn’t been all that inspiring. The big Russian is once again showing signs of fading.
With a big home test incoming, look for the Pens to really get up for this contest and jump out to an early first-period lead. Pittsburgh’s talents have played plenty of elite teams over the past decades, and won’t be fazed by the skill of Florida. Fresher legs should prevail here.
Since Feb 1 notable goalie stats (min 5GP)
Shesterkin 7-1-1 | .957 SV% | 1.43 GAA
Swayman 7-1-1 | .946 | 1.53 ?!
(Only 2 goalies under 2 GAA)Struggling Starters
Fleury 3-5-1 | .902 | 3.12
Bobrovsky 5-2-0 | .897 | 2.48
Campbell 3-3-1 | .886 | 3.64
Gibson 2-5 | .843 | 5.17!!!!— Drew Livingstone (@ProducerDrew_) March 7, 2022
Panthers vs. Penguins Trends To Know:
- Panthers are 5-1 in their last 6 after allowing 2 goals or less in their previous game.
- Panthers are 1-6 in their last 7 in the fourth game of a 4-in-6 situation.
- Panthers are 2-6 in their last 8 in the third game of a 3-in-4 situation.
- Penguins are 6-1 in their last 7 games playing on 3 or more days rest.
- Penguins are 5-1 in their last 6 Tuesday games.
- Home team is 7-2 in the last 9 meetings.
The trends don’t look favourably upon Florida to come up with another win on Tuesday night. They’ve struggled on short rest all season, and are an entirely different team away from home. Look for the Penguins to stymie their offense, en route to a signature victory on home ice.
