Tampa Bay vs Columbus Prediction 5 March 2025
🔊 Will the "Bolts" stop the visitors' winning streak? Tampa remains one of the "hottest" teams in the league, but their winning march was halted in the match against Florida. Now they face a new challenge - another highly successful team as of late. Columbus has secured four consecutive victories and continues to solidify their position in the playoff eight of the East.
Head-to-Head
In the current regular season, the opponents have met twice and exchanged home victories. First, the "Jackets" came out on top in a high-scoring shootout in Ohio (7:6 OT), and then the "Lightning" returned the favor in Miami (5:3). Both encounters were marked by an increased number of dangerous moments and goals scored. The most productive player at that time was Columbus forward Sean Monahan. The Canadian managed to score a goal and provide three assists. However, he is currently injured and will not be able to help his teammates.
Head-to-head statistics Tampa Bay - Columbus
Tampa Bay Lightning Team Overview
John Cooper's team eventually lost after a series of eight consecutive victories. Florida proved to be an insurmountable obstacle for the team (1-2). The reigning Stanley Cup champion took the initiative in a champion-like manner and secured the advantage thanks to two pucks from Aleksander Barkov, leading them to victory. However, this local setback does not diminish the achievements of the "Bolts." The home team is fourth in the East and has built a decent cushion, so their tournament position is not under threat.
Match Results: Tampa Bay Lightning
Columbus Blue Jackets Team Overview
The "Jackets" continue to surprise. Dean Evason's team, after a series of setbacks, has now secured four consecutive victories, twice defeating a key rival, Detroit (5:2, 5:3), along the way. A particularly memorable event was the game at Ohio University's arena. More than 100,000 fans were in attendance at the stadium, and they were surely pleased with what they saw. The current visitors only tipped the scales in their favor in the third period and achieved an impressive success. However, the main challenges for the team are still ahead, as the battle for a spot in the Stanley Cup is in full swing.
Match Results: Columbus Blue Jackets
📌 Projected Lineups
Tampa: Vasilevskiy - Hedman, Moser - Guentzel, Point, Kucherov
Columbus: Merzlikins - Fabbro, Werenski - Marchenko, Fantilli, Voronkov
🥅 Goalkeepers
Tampa's goaltender Andrei Vasilevskiy, unlike his teammates, can definitely count the game against Florida as a positive. The Russian saved 93% of the shots on his goal and provided numerous opportunities for his teammates. It’s worth noting that the Ufa-trained goalie has started in 11 consecutive games, which inevitably impacts his physical condition.
Columbus's goalie Elvis Merzlikins has stopped reacting overly emotionally to his setbacks and has started playing noticeably better. In the last five games, he only once failed to maintain a save percentage above 90% and achieved three wins. The Latvian player has been a key factor in the team's numerous successes during this stretch.
Editorial Prediction
The recent encounters between the opponents have almost always been extremely high-scoring. For six consecutive matches, the teams have scored at least 6 goals against each other. This trend also accompanies the recent games of the "Jackets" in the current regular season. In our opinion, both trends will remain relevant, and the fans in the stands will once again witness a thrilling goal shootout. We recommend a bet on - total over 5.5 pucks.No comments
Betting Tips: Tampa Bay Lightning - Columbus Blue Jackets
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