Today’s NHL Predictions highlight an earlier season cross-conference clash. The Tampa Bay Lightning (13-12-5) were defeated 4-1 by the Vancouver Canucks on Tuesday. Early in the first quarter, Brayden Point scored. The Canucks won after Brock Boeser recorded a natural hat trick in the second half.
On the opposite side of this clash, the Edmonton Oilers (13-12-1) are the league’s hottest team at the moment. The Oilers are on an eight-game winning streak and appear unbeatable under new Head Coach Kris Knoblauch. Connor McDavid had 22 points during the team’s eight-game winning streak, while Leon Draisaitl ranks sixth in scoring. Furthermore, Stuart Skinner has entirely transformed his goalkeeping game.
Tampa Bay continues their West Coast road trip at Rogers Place to face a scorching hot Edmonton team. The Bolts lack consistency so far this season. In addition, the Lightning lacks a team identity. Tampa Bay will not reach the playoffs or continue to compete with its current core if they do not establish an identity soon. Here are the keys to victory for the Lightning in this matchup
Tampa Bay vs. Edmonton NHL Predictions
Tampa Bay’s Three Victory Strategies
Restore Your Power Play Success
Over the last five games, the Lightning power play has struggled horribly. The Bolts scored two goals on their last fifteen power play opportunities, for a 13% success percentage. After all, Victor Hedman was out against Vancouver, and Steven Stamkos was out against the Seattle Kraken. However, with Nikita Kucherov and Brayden Point on the roster, the team should be able to score goals.
The Bolts need a reset on their top power-play unit. Anthony Cirelli and Brandon Hagel are two players who deserve an opportunity on the unit. Cirelli has four goals and six points in his last five games. Furthermore, nobody gets to the high-danger areas better than Cirelli. Jon Cooper can use Cirelli as the down-low guy who alternates into the bumper for one-timer looks from a left-handed shot. Moreover, Cirelli took reps on the top unit for a portion of training camp in the Fall. The same idea applies to Hagel due to his relentless effort on the puck and in front of the net.
Create an Identity
The Lightning, as stated in the introduction, lacks a team identity. Previously, the Lightning assembled a squad with four solid lines capable of wearing out opponents through the forecheck and cycle. In 2023-24, many of those key members of the team have left. The Lightning are a top-heavy club with insufficient depth at forward and on defense.
This season, the team appears to be overconfident. In other words, the squad expects its championship pedigree to carry them into the playoffs. The Bolts have shown flashes of brilliance by defeating top league rivals. However, the group must first sit down and decide what kind of team they want to be. The league’s longest-tenured coach will have a remedy for this problem by the end of the season.
Experiment with Different Forward Line Combinations
While Kucherov and Point are inseparable, try to split them up and see what happens. The Lightning have nothing to lose at this point in the season. The team is just crawling above a .500 record and lacks consistency. Worst case scenario, the Lightning revert to their usual line combinations. Their opponents do not play the two best forwards on the same line at even strength. Instead, the Oilers create a constant threat with McDavid and Draisaitl on for back-to-back shifts.
One combination Cooper should try is placing Cirelli on a line with Kucherov. While Kucherov is not terrible defensively compared to previous seasons, Cirelli can help stabilize the shifts Kucherov does get caught in the defensive zone. Furthermore, Cirelli is red hot with four goals in his last five games. Cirelli finds himself in high-danger areas, superficially in the soft spots in the slot. Nobody in the league is better at threading passes to that location than Kucherov. Here is the lineup we want to see against the Oilers.
Hagel – Cirelli – Kucherov
Stamkos – Point – Barré-Boulet
Jeannot – Motte – Eyssimont
Paul – Glendening – Chaffee
Time for Prediction
The Lightning will face a difficult assignment in this cross-conference matchup. When compared to the start of the season, the Oilers have advanced by leaps and bounds in the standings. The Oilers also create a lot of high-danger chances and scoring chances. Against the Oilers, the Lightning are anticipated to struggle in the defensive zone. As a result, we have the Oilers winning this game.
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