How to Watch Panthers at Lightning, Game 2: Lines, Goalies, Odds

TAMPA — There was not much news coming out of the Florida Panthers morning skate Thursday before Game 2 against the Tampa Bay Lightning.

And that’s just the way the Panthers like it.

Florida will roll out the same lineup — one which includes Matthew Tkachuk — that beat the Lightning 6-2 in Game 1 on Tuesday.

The Lighting could have some changes due to circumstances beyond their control, but the Panthers are expecting a heavy reaction from Tampa Bay after Tuesday’s showing.

“They are going to come out flying, like they did the last game,’’ defenseman Gus Forsling said. “We just have to weather the storm and go from there.’’

PANTHERS @ LIGHTNING: GAME 2

• Tampa Bay coach Jon Cooper would not say whether or not Anthony Cirelli would play tonight. Cirelli missed the third period of Game 1 and has not practiced in either of the past two days. Maurice said the Panthers are planning on Cirelli playing.
• Tonight will be the final game of Aaron Ekblad’s 20-game suspension. He is expected to be reunited with Forsling on Florida’s top defensive pairing Saturday afternoon.
• How to Watch: Tonight’s game is on local TV and is also being broadcast nationally on TBS and truTV. As usual, the game can be streamed locally on Panthers+ as well as MAX.
• Starting Goalies: The Panthers are going with Sergei Bobrovsky; The Lightning will start Andrei Vasilevskiy.
• NHL Betting Odds: The local book has Tampa Bay as a slight favorite (-125) on the money line. If you think the Panthers will win, a $100 bet pays $105.
• Subscribe to the FHN YouTube channel to hear from the Florida Panthers throughout the postseason. Today’s pregame video: Paul Maurice, Gus Forsling and Nico Sturm.

2025 NHL STANLEY CUP PLAYOFFS

EASTERN CONFERENCE 1ST ROUND: GAME 2

FLORIDA PANTHERS at TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING

Panthers Lead Best-of-7 Series 1-0

• When: Thursday, 6:30 p.m.
• Where: Amalie Arena, Tampa
• Local TV: Scripps Sports — WSFL 39 (Miami/FtL); WHDT 9 (WPB); LAFF 36.3 (SWFla)
• National TV: TBS/truTV
• Streaming: Panthers+, MAX
• Radio: WQAM 560-AM; WBZT 1230-AM (Palm Beach); WCTH 100.3-FM (Florida Keys); SiriusXM
• Panthers Radio Streaming: SiriusXM 932, NHL App
• Betting Odds — Lightning Favored: Money Line (-125); Puck line (-1.5, +180); Over/Under 5.5 (-115/-105)
• Series Schedule — Game 1: Florida 6, @ Tampa Bay 2; Game 2 at Tampa: Thursday, 6:30 (TBS/Scripps); Game 3 at Florida: Saturday, 1 (TBS/Scripps); Game 4 at Florida: Monday, April 28, 7 (ESPN/Scripps); Game 5* at Tampa: Wednesday, April 30 (TBA); Game 6* at Florida: Friday, May 2 (TBA); Game 7* at Tampa: Sunday, May 4 (TBA).
• Regular Season Series: Tied 2-2
• All-time Regular Season Series: Florida leads 79-53-19, 10 ties
• All-Time Postgame Series: Tampa Bay Leads 2-1 (won 2021 first-round, 2022 ECS); Florida d. Lightning 4-1 in 2024 first-round.

PROJECTED FLORIDA PANTHERS (1-0) LINES

23 Carter Verhaeghe // 16 Sasha Barkov // 13 Sam Reinhart

25 Mackie Samoskevich // 9 Sam Bennett // 19 Matthew Tkachuk

27 Eetu Luostarinen // 15 Anton Lundell // 63 Brad Marchand

17 Evan Rodrigues // 8 Nico Sturm // 70 Jesper Boqvist

42 Gus Forsling // 3 Seth Jones

77 Niko Mikkola // 7 Dmitry Kulikov

26 Uvis Balinskis // 88 Nate Schmidt

72 Sergei Bobrovsky

41 Vitek Vanecek

Scratched: Jonah Gadjovich, Tomas Nosek, A.J. Greer, Jaycob Megna

Injured: None

Suspended: Aaron Ekblad

PROJECTED TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING (0-1) LINES

37 Yanni Gourde // 21 Brayden Point // 86 Nikita Kucherov

38 Brandon Hagel // 71 Anthony Cirelli // 59 Jake Guentzel

93 Gage Goncalves // 20 Nick Paul // 14 Conor Geekie

— // 28 Zemgus Girgensons // 11 Luke Glendening

77 Victor Hedman // 90 JJ Moser

27 Ryan McDonagh // 81 Erik Cernak

78 Emil Lilleberg // 48 Nick Perbix

— // 43 Darren Raddysh

88 Andrei Vasilevskiy

31 Jonas Johansson

Scratched: Mitchell Chaffee, Cam Atkinson

Injured: Oliver Bjorkstrand (lower body)

Tampa Bay Lightning Lines Courtesy NHL.com